Landlord licensing in Basingstoke and Deane Council

Licensing at a glance

HMO licensing

Mandatory HMO licensing applies to any property let to five or more people forming two or more households who share a kitchen, bathroom or toilet.

Additional licensing

Basingstoke and Deane Council introduced an additional licensing scheme for HMOs with three or four occupants from 1 August 2022. The scheme covers the whole borough and runs for five years.

Selective licensing

Basingstoke and Deane Council does not currently operate any selective licensing schemes.

Typical fees

Mandatory and Additional HMO licence fees are £660 for a new application and £550 for a renewal. A discount of £75 is applied if the application is submitted digitally. There is a further discount of £50 for accredited landlords.

Towns covered

Basingstoke and Deane

What this means for you

If you let a property in the Basingstoke and Deane Council area, the first job is to confirm which licensing regime the exact address falls under. Mandatory HMO licensing applies to any property let to five or more people forming two or more households who share a kitchen, bathroom or toilet. Additional licensing can extend licensing to smaller HMOs. Basingstoke and Deane Council introduced an additional licensing scheme for HMOs with three or four occupants from 1 August 2022. Designations run for up to five years and are ward- or street-specific, so confirm the position for the exact address. Selective licensing can require a licence for every private rented home in a designated area, including single-family lets. Check the current designations before you advertise. Designations, fees and boundaries in the South East change regularly, so check the council's own licensing pages before each new tenancy rather than relying on what applied last time. The Renters' Rights Act 2025 (main provisions commence 2026) replaces fixed-term assured shorthold tenancies with periodic assured tenancies, ends section 21 no-fault evictions and introduces a national landlord database and ombudsman. Whatever the licensing position, landlords and agents should ensure they have a current gas safety record where there is gas, an EICR no more than five years old, a valid EPC, working smoke and carbon monoxide alarms, deposit protection and prescribed information, and the required prescribed documents served before the tenancy starts.

Official links

• Licensing pages
• Council website