Additional HMO licensing in Woking
Yes. Woking 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 Woking?
Yes. Woking 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 Woking does the scheme cover?
Borough-wide. HMOs with 3 or 4 occupants. Designated by Executive 11 September 2025. Confirm a specific address against the council's own designation map before applying.
When does Woking's scheme end?
The designation runs until 4 January 2031, unless the council revokes it earlier under section 84 of the Housing Act 2004.
What does the licence cost?
£850 2 to bed. Councils commonly discount for accredited landlords and early applications; confirm the current figure with Woking before budgeting.
The band is set by the number of bedrooms.
| from 5 | £700 |
| 2 to bed | £850 |
| 4 to bed | £870 |
| Each bedroom let | £10 |
- Renewal Part 1 £500 plus £10 per bedroom, Part 2 £130 (2-bed £650)
- Discounts: £100 accredited individuals, £200 registered charity off Part 1
Woking, read 25 August 2026
What the designation says
An additional HMO licensing scheme is in force across the whole borough of Woking. The designation was made on 29 September 2025 under section 56 of the Housing Act 2004, came into force on 5 January 2026 and ceases to have effect on 4 January 2031 unless the council revokes it earlier. It applies to a house or flat let to three or more tenants forming more than one household who share facilities such as a kitchen or bathroom, and to a live-in landlord with three or more lodgers who share those facilities. In practice a shared home of three or four occupants now needs a licence in Woking where previously only five or more did. A property is outside the scheme where it is already licensable under mandatory licensing, is subject to an interim or final management order, holds a temporary exemption, is a building listed in Schedule 14 of the Act, or is the landlord's only or main residence shared with no more than two lodgers. The designation covers the borough as delineated on its map and remains in place for any successor authority following local government reorganisation.
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 Woking before letting.