Landlord licensing in Rochford 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

Rochford Council can implement additional licensing to require licences for smaller Houses in Multiple Occupation (HMOs) not covered by mandatory HMO licensing.

Selective licensing

Rochford Council can introduce selective licensing to require all private rented properties in a designated area, including single-family lets, to be licensed.

Towns covered

Rochford

What this means for you

If you let a property in the Rochford Council area, first confirm which licensing regime applies to the exact address. Mandatory HMO licensing applies to larger HMOs. Additional licensing can extend this to smaller HMOs, and selective licensing can require a licence for all private rented homes in designated areas. Designations, fees and boundaries in East of England can change, so check the council's own licensing pages before letting. The Renters' Rights Act 2025 (main provisions commence 2026) replaces fixed-term assured shorthold tenancies with periodic assured tenancies and ends section 21 no-fault evictions. Landlords must keep a current gas safety record, an EICR no more than five years old, a valid EPC, working smoke and carbon monoxide alarms, deposit protection and prescribed information, and serve all required prescribed documents before a new tenancy begins.