South East · Council licensing
Landlord licensing in Ashford
✓ Hand-verified 18 Aug 2026Beyond mandatory HMO licensing, Ashford does not currently operate a selective or additional licensing scheme. Here's the current position.
Required for any HMO let to 5 or more people forming 2+ households who share facilities.
One payment.
Ashford, read 19 August 2026
Evidenced negative by enumeration (first-party research 17 Aug 2026): the council HMO hub is headed "Mandatory licensing of HMOs" and states "All HMOs with five or more people comprising of two or more family units will require a licence to operate". No selective scheme referenced. an Article 4 Direction consultation on HMOs covers Aylesford Green, Beaver, Little Burton Farm and South Willesborough - that is PLANNING control removing permitted development rights C3 to C4, not a Housing Act 2004 licensing designation.
Evidenced negative by enumeration (first-party research 17 Aug 2026): the council HMO hub is headed "Mandatory licensing of HMOs" and states "All HMOs with five or more people comprising of two or more family units will require a licence to operate". No s.56 additional scheme appears anywhere on that hub, which is the page whose purpose is to tell landlords which licence they need. Mandatory fee GBP 871; advisory inspection charge GBP 154.
Common questions
Does Ashford have a selective licensing scheme?
No. Ashford does not currently operate a selective licensing scheme. Mandatory HMO licensing still applies wherever a property is let to five or more people forming two or more households.
Does Ashford have an additional HMO licensing scheme?
No. Ashford does not currently operate an additional HMO licensing scheme. Mandatory HMO licensing still applies wherever a property is let to five or more people forming two or more households.
Do I need an HMO licence in Ashford?
A mandatory HMO licence is required anywhere in England and Wales, including Ashford, where a property is let to five or more people forming two or more households who share basic amenities. Smaller shared houses may also need a licence where an additional licensing scheme applies.
- Free landlord compliance check — five questions, no account
- Tenancy agreement checker — findings cited to the Act and section
All property licensing in South East →
Source: Ashford licensing page →
Every landlord in Ashford also needs
A valid Gas Safety certificate (annual), an EICR (every 5 years), a valid EPC, a protected deposit, smoke & CO alarms, the Renters' Rights Act Information Sheet, and a current How to Rent guide — plus the new Section 8 possession rules since Section 21 was abolished on 1 May 2026.
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