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What is Additional licensing?
Last verified 23 October 2026
Additional licensing is a scheme a council in England or Wales can set up to require licences for houses in multiple occupation (HMOs) that fall outside mandatory licensing, usually smaller shared houses. It can cover the whole district or part of it, and one type of HMO or all HMOs in the area.
Why it matters to landlords
A council can designate an area only if it considers that a significant proportion of HMOs of that type are being managed badly enough to cause problems for the people living in them or for the public. It must consult people likely to be affected before it decides. As a result, a shared house with three tenants from different households can need a licence in one town and not in the next.
Letting an HMO that needs a licence without one is a criminal offence and can lead to a rent repayment order. Before letting a shared house, check the council's website for any additional or selective licensing scheme, the fee and the conditions that come with the licence. A licence lasts for a maximum of five years, and each HMO needs its own.
Example
A city council runs an additional licensing scheme covering all HMOs. A landlord there lets a house to three friends from different families who share the kitchen. Although fewer than five people live there, the house needs a licence, so the landlord applies before the tenancy starts.
Check which rules apply to your property →
Related terms
- Mandatory HMO licensing
- HMO (House in Multiple Occupation)
- HMO licence
- Selective licensing
- Article 4 direction