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.
Please note that if a payment is made for the incorrect number of people or upon inspection it is found that the number of occupants that can be accommodated is fewer than the number applied for, no refund will be payable. It’s the applicant’s responsibility to ensure the property conforms to Portsmouth City Council’s HMO Standards and doesn’t exceed the maximum number of allowable occupants.
Please contact Portsmouth City Council’s Private Sector Housing Team on 023 9243 7914 for further information regarding HMO licensing.
| wdt_ID | Mandatory HMO Licence Number of Occupants | ALL Licenses Part 1 Fee | NEW license Application Part 2 Fee | RENEWAL of License Part 2 Fee |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 5 persons sharing | £192 | £948 | £888 |
| 2 | 6 persons sharing | £192 | £998 | £938 |
| 3 | 7 persons sharing | £192 | £1,048 | £988 |
| 4 | 8 persons sharing | £192 | £1,098 | £1,038 |
| 5 | 9 persons sharing | £192 | £1,148 | £1,088 |
| 6 | 10 persons sharing | £192 | £1,198 | £1,138 |
| 7 | 11 persons sharing | £192 | £1,248 | £1,188 |
| 8 | 12 persons sharing | £192 | £1,298 | £1,238 |
| 9 | 13 + persons sharing | £192 | £1,348 | £1,288 |
Licence fees may be reviewed periodically to ensure they reflect the full cost of administering the licensing service.
The fee structure is based on the number of occupants regardless of property type (i.e. shared houses, bedsit-type shared houses or bedsits).