South East · Council licensing
Landlord licensing in Thanet
✓ Hand-verified 26 May 2026Beyond mandatory HMO licensing, Thanet 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.
Thanet sets this fee under section 63(3) of the Housing Act 2004. Its current charge is not yet recorded here.
The council’s own licensing page carries the charge that applies today — confirm it there before you budget.
Not established is not the same as free.
No active selective licensing scheme in Thanet as of April 2026, but a major new proposal is under consideration. Thanet District Council operated two consecutive selective licensing schemes in parts of the Margate Central and Cliftonville West wards: the first from January 2011 to April 2016 (Thanet was the first local authority in Kent to use selective licensing powers, and successfully defended a judicial review brought by the Southern Landlords Association in 2012), and a second renewed designation from 21 April 2016 to 20 April 2021 covering the same area plus additional properties in Trinity Square and Northdown Road. Both schemes have now expired. In August 2025, the council began considering a substantially expanded five-year selective licensing scheme that would cover around 12,625 privately rented homes across eight wards in Margate and Ramsgate: Central Harbour, Cliftonville West, Eastcliff, Margate Central, Newington, Salmestone, Sir Moses Montefiore and Westbrook. Public consultation was scheduled for early 2026 with a target designation go-live date of early 2027. The proposed licence fee is £800 with various discounts. Until the new scheme is designated, no selective licensing is in force in Thanet.
No active additional HMO licensing scheme in Thanet. Only mandatory HMO licensing under Part 2 of the Housing Act 2004 applies — for properties occupied by 5 or more persons forming 2 or more households who share basic amenities. The mandatory HMO scheme has been in force in Thanet since April 2006 and was extended in October 2018 to remove the three-storey requirement. Smaller HMOs (3 or 4 occupants) do not require a licence in Thanet. Applications are handled by the council's Private Sector Housing team.
Common questions
Does Thanet have a selective licensing scheme?
No. Thanet 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 Thanet have an additional HMO licensing scheme?
No. Thanet 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 Thanet?
A mandatory HMO licence is required anywhere in England and Wales, including Thanet, 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: Thanet licensing page →
Every landlord in Thanet 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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