HMO licence Crawley: licensing schemes, fees and enforcement

We found no additional or selective licensing scheme in force in Crawley on the council's website as of 28 Sep 2026. Mandatory HMO licensing applies everywhere in England to HMOs with 5 or more people in 2 or more households.

Selective: none foundAdditional HMO: none foundMandatory HMO: alwaysChecked 28 Sep 2026

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Crawley licensing schemes in force or approved

We found no additional or selective licensing scheme in force on Crawley Borough Council's website as of 28 Sep 2026. Mandatory HMO licensing still applies to any HMO with 5 or more people in 2 or more households. Confirm with the council (council page).

Note from our check: only mandatory HMO licensing. HMO Article 4 in 10 zones in effect from 15 Jun 2022

Mandatory HMO licensing in Crawley

Whatever the local schemes, a licence is required for any house in multiple occupation let to 5 or more people forming 2 or more households who share a kitchen, bathroom or toilet. This rule is national and has applied since 1 October 2018. Letting without a required licence is a criminal offence under section 72 of the Housing Act 2004. Read do I need an HMO licence? and how to apply.

Crawley HMO licence register

The council's public register of licensed properties: Crawley Borough Council public register. Use it to check whether a property already holds a licence, for example before you buy. Licences do not transfer to a new owner.

Crawley Article 4 and HMO planning rules

Official planning data lists 10 HMO Article 4 areas for Crawley. Inside these areas, turning a family house (use class C3) into a small HMO (C4) needs planning permission.

HMO Article 4 areaIn effect fromDocument
Aintree Road & Epsom Road15 Jun 2022view
Arden Road15 Jun 2022view
Ardingly Close15 Jun 2022view
Beverley Mews15 Jun 2022view
Caburn Heights15 Jun 2022view
Farmleigh Close15 Jun 2022view
Rillside & Winterfold15 Jun 2022view
Ringwood Close15 Jun 2022view
Victoria Mews15 Jun 2022view
Weald Drive15 Jun 2022view

Licensing and planning are separate. A licence does not give planning permission, and planning permission does not replace a licence. See Article 4 and HMOs.

Tribunal record: rent repayment orders and civil penalties in Crawley

Figures below count First-tier Tribunal (Property Chamber) decisions published on GOV.UK for properties located in Crawley. They show how tenants and the council use enforcement here. Most civil penalties are paid without appeal, so they never reach the tribunal.

Rent repayment order decisions5 (1 in the last 3 years)
Orders made1 (25% of decisions with a known outcome)
Median award£1,325 (last 3 years: £1,325)
Total awarded£1,325
Civil penalty appeals2
Penalty upheld (in full or reduced)100% · confirmed in full 0%
Median penalty: council's notice / after tribunal£8,450 / £9,000
Other Housing Act appeals (licence terms, notices, orders)4

Recent rent repayment order decisions in Crawley

DecidedAreaPropertyOffence allegedOutcomeAmountDecision
9 Dec 2024RH10House / not statedunlicensed HMO; unlicensed (selective licensing); unlawful eviction / harassment; failure to comply with improvement notice; breach of banning order; violence for securing entryOrder made£1,325GOV.UK
18 Oct 2022RH11House / not statedunlicensed HMO; unlawful eviction / harassmentRefused—GOV.UK
29 Jun 2021RH10HMOnot extractedWithdrawn / struck out—GOV.UK
6 Apr 2021RH10HMOunlicensed HMO; unlawful eviction / harassment; violence for securing entryRefused—GOV.UK
12 Mar 2020RH10HMOunlawful eviction / harassment; violence for securing entryRefused—GOV.UK

Recent civil penalty appeals in Crawley

DecidedAreaOffenceOutcomeCouncil's penaltyAfter tribunalDecision
29 Nov 2024RH10failure to comply with improvement noticePenalty varied£6,900£3,000GOV.UK
6 Jan 2022RH10unlicensed HMO; failure to comply with improvement notice; HMO management regulationsPenalty varied£10,000£15,000GOV.UK

Amounts and outcomes are extracted automatically from the decision text and can be wrong; open the decision on GOV.UK for the full reasons. Party names are not shown. Information, not legal advice.

If you have let without a licence you needed, read unlicensed property: what to do, rent repayment orders and civil penalties.

Landlord database deadline for Crawley

Crawley is in the South East region of the new Private Rented Sector Database. Registration opens 15 Mar 2027 and the deadline to register is 14 Jun 2027. The published fee is £65 per property per year. Database registration is separate from council licensing: you may need both. See register your rental property.

Get help with a Crawley licence application

We can prepare a licence application for you for a fixed fee; the council's own fee is separate. See pricing for what is included and how we make money. You can also run a full address check on the postcode checker.

Help with a Crawley licence

We may refer legal matters to an SRA-regulated solicitor and may receive a referral fee; we will tell you before any referral. See how we make money.

Crawley licensing: common questions

Is there selective licensing in Crawley?

We found no selective licensing scheme on Crawley Borough Council's website as of 28 Sep 2026. Mandatory HMO licensing still applies to 5+ people in 2+ households. Confirm with the council.

How much is an HMO licence in Crawley?

We did not find a published fee on the council pages we checked. Mandatory HMO licence fees are set by each council, usually in two parts (application and grant). See the council page or our HMO licence cost guide.

Does Crawley have an Article 4 direction for HMOs?

Official planning data lists 10 HMO Article 4 areas for Crawley. Inside these areas, turning a family house (use class C3) into a small HMO (C4) needs planning permission.

Where is the Crawley HMO licence register?

The council publishes its public register of licences here: Crawley Borough Council register. Councils must keep a register of licences under section 232 of the Housing Act 2004.

How often do landlords in Crawley face rent repayment orders or fines?

The First-tier Tribunal has published 5 rent repayment order decisions for properties in Crawley (1 with an order made), median award £1,325, and 2 civil penalty appeals. Most penalties are never appealed, so the true number of fines is higher.

Related: selective licensing in England · additional HMO licensing · HMO licence cost · HMO rules · HMO hub

Sources

Last checked 28 Sep 2026. Information, not legal advice. Licensing schemes change often; always confirm with the council before you act.