South East · Council licensing
Landlord licensing in Test Valley
✓ Hand-verified 19 Aug 2026Beyond mandatory HMO licensing, Test Valley 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, and the licence lasts 5 years.
| Part 1 | £466 |
| Part 2 | £249 |
| Total | £715 |
| Each room | £25 |
- Renewal Part 1 £383.00
- Late applications carry a supplementary operation charge of £338.00
Test Valley, read 19 August 2026
Evidenced negative by enumeration (first-party research 19 Aug 2026): the council HMO service page (last updated 17 July 2026) states "Since 1st October 2018, any HMO with 5 or more occupants regardless of number of storeys in the property will require a licence." Mandatory licensing is presented as the only licensing operating and no s.80 selective designation is named. Note the previously held URL was a 2018 news article announcing the national mandatory extension; that is national law, not a Test Valley designation, and has been replaced with the service page. Distinct from Winchester, Eastleigh, Basingstoke and Deane, New Forest and Hampshire County Council.
Evidenced negative by enumeration (first-party research 19 Aug 2026): the council HMO page names no s.56 additional designation. Fee structure quoted verbatim: "From 1 April 2020 there will be a two part fee structure in place. Part 1 of the licence fee is payable with the application and part 2 is payable when a decision to grant a licence has been made." For 2026/27 Part 1 is £466.00 for a licence of up to five years, plus £25.00 per room above five rooms, with renewal at £383.00; Part 2 is a £249.00 operation charge, with a supplementary operation charge of £338.00 applying to late applications only. Note the Part 2 table column headers appear mislabelled on the council page, so re-read at the next refresh. this row previously held a flat £585, which is not a figure Test Valley publishes.
Common questions
Does Test Valley have a selective licensing scheme?
No. Test Valley 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 Test Valley have an additional HMO licensing scheme?
No. Test Valley 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 Test Valley?
A mandatory HMO licence is required anywhere in England and Wales, including Test Valley, 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: Test Valley licensing page →
Every landlord in Test Valley 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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