South East · Council licensing
Landlord licensing in Tonbridge and Malling
✓ Hand-verified 19 Aug 2026Beyond mandatory HMO licensing, Tonbridge and Malling 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.
Tonbridge and Malling 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.
Evidenced negative in the council's own words (first-party research 19 Aug 2026): the council landlords and tenants page states verbatim "We only operate mandatory licensing of HMOs." A Housing and Planning Scrutiny Select Committee report of 14 December 2023 set HMO and caravan site licensing fee charges for 2024/25 and records "There are currently 25 licensed HMOs in the Tonbridge and Malling area." An earlier Communities and Housing Advisory Board item of 14 November 2016 covered HMO and caravan site licensing. Neither is a designation. Tonbridge and Malling is a DIFFERENT Kent authority from Tunbridge Wells, and Tonbridge is a different town from Royal Tunbridge Wells. Also distinct from Sevenoaks, Maidstone and Kent County Council.
Evidenced negative in the council's own words (first-party research 19 Aug 2026): the council states verbatim "We only operate mandatory licensing of HMOs." On fees, the council uses "the same HMO licence fee cost calculator developed by the Kent and Medway local authorities" and the 2024/25 charge was set by the 14 December 2023 committee report on democracy.tmbc.gov.uk. No current figure is published in readable text on a service page and the previously held £1,100 has been removed because it cannot be traced to a Tonbridge and Malling source. read the current fee-setting committee report or the Kent and Medway calculator output for this authority and record the figure verbatim.
Common questions
Does Tonbridge and Malling have a selective licensing scheme?
No. Tonbridge and Malling 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 Tonbridge and Malling have an additional HMO licensing scheme?
No. Tonbridge and Malling 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 Tonbridge and Malling?
A mandatory HMO licence is required anywhere in England and Wales, including Tonbridge and Malling, 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: Tonbridge and Malling licensing page →
Every landlord in Tonbridge and Malling 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.
Check your Tonbridge and Malling property in 30 seconds
Free, no account — see exactly what applies to your property, then let Landlord HQ track every deadline from £9.99/mo.