Additional HMO licensing in Portsmouth
Yes. Portsmouth operates an additional HMO licensing scheme. Letting a covered property without a licence risks a civil penalty of up to £40,000 and a rent repayment order of up to two years' rent.
Common questions
Do I need an additional HMO licence in Portsmouth?
Yes. Portsmouth operates an additional HMO licensing scheme. Letting a covered property without a licence risks a civil penalty of up to £40,000 and a rent repayment order of up to two years' rent.
Which areas of Portsmouth does the scheme cover?
City-wide. All HMOs across the city occupied by 3 or 4 people forming two or more households. Confirm a specific address against the council's own designation map before applying.
When does Portsmouth's scheme end?
The designation runs until 31 August 2028, unless the council revokes it earlier under section 84 of the Housing Act 2004.
What does the licence cost?
£886. Councils commonly discount for accredited landlords and early applications; confirm the current figure with Portsmouth before budgeting.
Paid in two parts — one on application, the balance before the licence is issued, and the licence lasts 5 years.
| Stage 1 | £222 |
| Stage 2 | £664 |
| Total | £886 |
- Renewal 5-year £845, 2.5-year £740, 1-year £709. , page last updated 1 April 2026
Portsmouth — portsmouth.gov.uk, read 19 Aug 2026
What the designation says
Portsmouth operates an additional licensing scheme for houses in multiple occupation, made under a designation dated August 2024 and drawn city-wide so that tenants in every HMO are covered rather than only those in a designated district. It extends licensing to shared properties outside the national mandatory regime, typically those let to three or four people forming two or more households who share a kitchen, bathroom or toilet, and the council operates a separate additional licence for section 257 HMOs — converted blocks of flats where the conversion did not meet the Building Regulations in force at the time — with its own fee scale. Mandatory HMO licensing continues to apply separately wherever a property is let to five or more people in two or more households. Fees are charged in two parts: an application fee, then a licence issue fee payable within 14 days of the notice of intention to grant, which covers issuing the licence and running and enforcing the scheme. The council notes it may not profit from licence fees. Applications involve either a verification inspection or a desktop survey, after which a draft licence is issued for comment alongside the request for the second payment.
What this means for a landlord
A licence must be in place before the property is let, not applied for afterwards. Operating unlicensed in a designated area is a criminal offence: a civil penalty of up to £40,000 per offence and a rent repayment order of up to two years' rent. Both maxima apply to conduct on or after 1 May 2026; before that date they were £30,000 and twelve months. Section 21 was abolished on 1 May 2026 and possession now runs through the amended section 8 grounds. Mandatory HMO licensing applies separately and everywhere, wherever a property is let to five or more people forming two or more households.
Information tool, not legal advice. Confirm the position with Portsmouth before letting.