South West · Council licensing
Landlord licensing in Somerset
✓ Hand-verified 19 Aug 2026Beyond mandatory HMO licensing, Somerset 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.
Paid in two parts — one on application, the balance before the licence is issued.
| Part 1 | £738 |
| Part 2 | £211 |
| Total | £949 |
| Each person | £43 |
- Renewal: £625 + £211 = £836, plus £33 per additional person. ; the source page and the verbatim quote are recorded in the licensing evidence on this row
Somerset — council's own published fees, read, read 19 Aug 2026
Evidenced negative by enumeration (first-party research 19 Aug 2026): unitary created 1 April 2023 from Somerset County Council plus Mendip, Sedgemoor, Somerset West and Taunton, and South Somerset. The council HMO licensing page (last updated 17 July 2026, next review 17 January 2027) states "An HMO licence is required if: the property is occupied by 5 or more people, from more than one household; and they share basic amenities such as a toilet, bathroom, or kitchen facilities." No s.80 selective designation and no surviving predecessor-district discretionary scheme is referenced. Distinct from North Somerset and Bath and North East Somerset, which are separate unitaries.
Evidenced negative by enumeration (first-party research 19 Aug 2026): the council HMO licensing page names no s.56 additional designation and no predecessor-district scheme carried over from Mendip, Sedgemoor, Somerset West and Taunton, or South Somerset. Fee is two-part with a per-person increment above five: new licence Part 1 £738 plus Part 2 £211, total £949, with £43 per additional person over five; renewal Part 1 £625 plus Part 2 £211, total £836, with £33 per additional person. Bath and North East Somerset ran an additional HMO scheme that finished 31 December 2023; that was B and NES, not Somerset, and must not be carried across.
Common questions
Does Somerset have a selective licensing scheme?
No. Somerset 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 Somerset have an additional HMO licensing scheme?
No. Somerset 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 Somerset?
A mandatory HMO licence is required anywhere in England and Wales, including Somerset, 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 West →
Source: Somerset licensing page →
Every landlord in Somerset 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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