Landlord licensing in Southend-on-Sea Council
East of England · England
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
- Southend-on-Sea Council's additional licensing scheme, which covered specific wards (Kursaal, Victoria, Milton, Chalkwell, Blenheim Park, and Westborough), ran for five years from 1 February 2022 and has now expired. Landlords should check the council's website for any new or proposed schemes.
- Selective licensing
- Southend-on-Sea Council's selective licensing scheme, which covered specific wards (Kursaal, Victoria, and Milton) and applied to all privately rented properties in these areas, ran for five years from 1 February 2022 and has now expired. Landlords should check the council's website for any new or proposed schemes.
- Typical fees
- Southend-on-Sea Council currently charges a fee for HMO and selective licences. Specific fees are detailed on the council's licensing pages.
- Towns covered
- Southend-on-Sea
What this means for you
If you let a property in the Southend-on-Sea Council area, the first step 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 facilities. Additional licensing can extend licensing to smaller HMOs. Selective licensing can require a licence for every private rented home in a designated area, including single-family lets. Always check current designations for your property's exact address as they can be street or ward-specific and change periodically. The Renters' Rights Act 2025, with main provisions commencing 2026, replaces assured shorthold tenancies with periodic assured tenancies and ends section 21 no-fault evictions. Landlords must keep an evidence pack for every Southend-on-Sea Council tenancy, including 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 all required prescribed documents served before the tenancy starts.
Official links
Licensing designations, fees and boundaries change regularly. This page is a general summary, not legal advice — always confirm the position for the exact address with Southend-on-Sea Council before letting. Last reviewed 1 October 2026.