HMO license fees must be levied in 2 parts:

Part 1: Application Fee (payable at the time of submitting an application) – This element of the fee will cover the costs incurred by the council to process the application up to the point of the decision being made to issue or refuse the licence. This fee is non-refundable. Read the refund policy for more information.

Part 2: Licence Issue Fee (payable within 14 days following receipt of the ‘Notice of Intention to Grant a License’) – This element of the fee covers the costs of issuing the licence, as well as operating and enforcing the HMO licensing scheme. Failure to make this payment will leave the property unlicensed and likely to result in enforcement action. This licence fee is not required if the licence application is refused. Please note: once a full license is issued this fee is non-refundable, even if the license is later revoked. Read the refund policy for more information.

The HMO licence application process involves a verification inspection, or a desktop survey, after which a draft licence will be issued to the applicant for comment, along with a request for the Part 2 payment. The final licence will only be issued following receipt of this payment. Failure to pay will result in the licence not being granted leaving the property unlicensed. Unlicensed properties are liable to legal enforcement action.

Application typeStage 1Stage 2Total Fee
New application - 5 year licence£195.00£581.00£776.00
New application - 2.5 year licence£195.00£608.00£803.00
New application - 1 year licence£195.00£881.00£1,076.00
Licence renewal - 2.5 years£127.00£521.00£648.00
Licence renewal - 1 year£127.00£494.00£621.00

Refunds Policy

A refund will be given if:

  • You’ve made a duplicate application
  • You made an application for an exempted property by mistake
  • You made an application for a property which isn’t licensable under Portsmouth HMO licensing schemes

A refund will not be given if:

  • You withdraw your application at any stage
  • We refuse your application
  • We revoke (take away) your licence
  • You are subsequently refused planning permission for your HMO
  • Your property ceases to be let as an HMO during the term of the licence (including if you sell your HMO during the term of the license).

Further information

If you need any additional information, please contact hmo.licensing@portsmouthcc.gov.uk or call 023 9284 1659