LetLens / Licensing by council / Brighton and Hove

Landlord licensing in Brighton and Hove

Mandatory HMO licensing applies across England, so a property in Brighton and Hove let to five or more people forming two or more households, who share a kitchen, bathroom or toilet, needs a licence. Brighton and Hove also runs additional HMO licensing and selective licensing, which can bring smaller HMOs, or every private rental, into licensing. A replacement selective licensing designation has already been made and is due to start from 20 October 2026.

The licence you need turns on who lives in the property. Find the line that describes your let.

Required by national lawThe same in all 296 English councils. Not a Brighton and Hove decision.
Your propertyLet to 5 or more people forming 2 or more households who share a kitchen, bathroom or toilet
You needMandatory HMO licence In force England-wide
It costs£906 for a 5-bedroom HMOband 5-5 occupants
WhereEverywhere in Brighton and Hove, as everywhere in England. Scope, fee schedule and source
What Brighton and Hove requires on topSchemes this council chose to run, and what differs from the council next door.
Your propertyA smaller shared house the national scheme does not reach, typically 3 or 4 sharers forming 2 or more households
You needAdditional HMO licence In force
It costs£883, the same for an HMO of any size
WhereEverywhere in Brighton and Hove. Scope, fee schedule and source
Your propertyLet privately inside a designated area, whether or not it is an HMO
You needSelective licence In force
It costs£740, the same for a rental of any size
Where4 designated wards, not the whole of Brighton and Hove. Scope, fee schedule and source
Planning permission, a separate questionNot licensing. Whether you may create an HMO at all, decided by the council’s planning side.
Your planConverting a house (use class C3) into a small HMO (use class C4)
You needPlanning permission In force
WhereInside the designated area: the whole council area. There is no part of the council outside it. The direction, its dates and its boundary

Each fee is for the example property named on its own line, from the council’s published schedule. Other sizes are priced separately; the full schedules, discounts and surcharges are below.

Most recent source check: 6 August 2026. Each figure below carries the date its own source was read.

Or open BN1 5DL, a postcode near the centre of Brighton and Hove, to see what a full report looks like.

What changes next in Brighton and Hove

Already decided, not yet in force. A property bought today is bought into these, so they matter more than the current position if you are still choosing.

Selective licensing designation20 October 2026Brighton & Hove City Council Designation for an Area for Selective Licensing 2026 (Central Hove and Regency). Made but not in force yet, so it does not apply today.

Each scheme in detail, and the evidence behind it

Which properties each scheme catches in Brighton and Hove, in the council’s own words, with the designations in force, the whole published fee schedule and the source for every figure. The three regimes can stack: a property can need a licence under one and still be caught by another.

Mandatory HMO licensing In force England-wide

Set by national law, not by the council. Any property let to five or more people forming two or more households who share a kitchen, bathroom or toilet needs a licence, anywhere in England.

Fee, 5-bed HMO£906band 5-5 occupants

Where it applies: National scheme
Which properties: HMOs occupied by 5 or more persons forming 2 or more households who share amenities (mandatory HMO licensing under s55/s254 Housing Act 2004, Licensing of HMOs Prescribed Description Order 2018)

The published fee schedule

Size charge: £7.33 per occupant above 14
Licence term: Up to 5 years
Fee schedule dated: 2026

Fee by number of occupants
Size	Fee
5	£906
6 to 8	£927
9 to 11	£950
12 to 14	£972

Renewal fee by number of occupants
Size	Fee
5	£740
6 to 8	£750
9 to 11	£763
12 to 14	£773

Discounts

Single discount (accreditation/Propertymark, OR EPC-C+, OR registered charity - one of): £75
Double discount (meets two of the discount criteria; maximum combined): £150

Other charges, all 51

Single tenancy 5 occ - single discount initial: £831
Single tenancy 6-8 - single discount initial: £852
Single tenancy 9-11 - single discount initial: £875
Single tenancy 12-14 - single discount initial: £897
Single tenancy 5 occ - double discount initial: £756
Single tenancy 6-8 - double discount initial: £777
Single tenancy 9-11 - double discount initial: £800
Single tenancy 12-14 - double discount initial: £822
Single tenancy 5 occ - late fee: £1,027
Single tenancy 6-8 - late fee: £1,050
Single tenancy 9-11 - late fee: £1,071
Single tenancy 12-14 - late fee: £1,094
Single tenancy 5 occ - single discount re-license: £665
Single tenancy 6-8 - single discount re-license: £675
Single tenancy 9-11 - single discount re-license: £688
Single tenancy 12-14 - single discount re-license: £698
Single tenancy 5 occ - double discount re-license: £590
Single tenancy 6-8 - double discount re-license: £600
Single tenancy 9-11 - double discount re-license: £613
Single tenancy 12-14 - double discount re-license: £623
Single tenancy 5 occ - late re-license: £840
Single tenancy 6-8 - late re-license: £850
Single tenancy 9-11 - late re-license: £862
Single tenancy 12-14 - late re-license: £883
Single-tenancy: new application add for each 3 occupants above 14: £22
Multiple-tenancy: new application add for each 3 occupants above 14: £29
Multiple tenancy 5 - standard initial: £1,137
Multiple tenancy 6-8 - standard initial: £1,314
Multiple tenancy 9-11 - standard initial: £1,469
Multiple tenancy 12-14 - standard initial: £1,623
Multiple tenancy 5 - single discount initial: £1,062
Multiple tenancy 6-8 - single discount initial: £1,239
Multiple tenancy 9-11 - single discount initial: £1,393
Multiple tenancy 12-14 - single discount initial: £1,548
Multiple tenancy 5 - double discount initial: £987
Multiple tenancy 6-8 - double discount initial: £1,164
Multiple tenancy 9-11 - double discount initial: £1,319
Multiple tenancy 12-14 - double discount initial: £1,473
Multiple tenancy 5 - late initial: £1,204
Multiple tenancy 6-8 - late initial: £1,391
Multiple tenancy 9-11 - late initial: £1,546
Multiple tenancy 12-14 - late initial: £1,711
Multiple tenancy 9-11 - standard re-license: £960
Multiple tenancy 12-14 - standard re-license: £983
Multiple tenancy 9-11 - single discount re-license: £885
Multiple tenancy 12-14 - single discount re-license: £908
Multiple tenancy 9-11 - double discount re-license: £810
Multiple tenancy 12-14 - double discount re-license: £833
Multiple tenancy 6-8 - late re-license: £1,005
Multiple tenancy 9-11 - late re-license: £1,017
Multiple tenancy 12-14 - late re-license: £1,038

Council source · How to apply · read 6 August 2026

Additional HMO licensing In force

A council may extend HMO licensing to smaller HMOs, typically three or four sharers, across all or part of its area.

Licence fee, any size£883

Where it applies: Council-wide
Which properties: All HMOs (Part 7 Housing Act 2004) which are two or more storeys and occupied by three or four persons in two or more households, that are NOT already subject to mandatory HMO licensing; converted blocks of flats (section 257) are excluded, as are properties subject to management orders, temporary exemptions, and Schedule 14 non-HMOs
Designations in force: Brighton & Hove City Council Designation for an Area for Additional Licensing of Houses in Multiple Occupation ("HMOs") 2024
Designation period: 1 July 2024 to 30 June 2029

The published fee schedule

Fee: £883
Licence term: Up to 5 years
Fee schedule dated: 2026

Discounts

Single discount (accreditation/Propertymark, OR EPC-C+, OR registered charity - one of): £75
Double discount (meets two of the discount criteria; maximum combined): £150

Other charges, all 7

Additional HMO 3-4 occ single tenancy - single discount: £808
Additional HMO 3-4 occ single tenancy - double discount: £733
Additional HMO 3-4 occ single tenancy - late fee: £995
Additional HMO 3-4 tenancies (multiple) - standard: £1,127
Additional HMO 3-4 tenancies (multiple) - single discount: £1,052
Additional HMO 3-4 tenancies (multiple) - double discount: £977
Additional HMO 3-4 tenancies (multiple) - late fee: £1,193

Council source · read 6 August 2026

Selective licensing In force

A council may require a licence for every private rented home in a designated area, whether or not it is an HMO.

Licence fee, any size£740

Where it applies: 4 designated wards
Which properties: Privately rented dwellings (let or occupied under a tenancy or licence) in the four designated wards that are not otherwise licensable, including single occupiers, two occupiers, families, and single-storey properties (flats/bungalows) with 3 or 4 unrelated occupiers below the HMO threshold; standard statutory exemptions apply (mandatory HMOs, RSL lettings, management orders, etc.)
Designations in force: Brighton & Hove City Council Designation for an Area for Selective Licensing 2024
Designation period: 2 September 2024 to 1 September 2029
Proposed: Brighton & Hove City Council Designation for an Area for Selective Licensing 2026 (Central Hove and Regency)

Brighton & Hove City Council Designation for an Area for Selective Licensing 2024 covers Kemptown, Moulsecoomb & Bevendean, Queen's Park, Whitehawk & Marina.

A designation can cover only part of a named ward, so check the exact address rather than relying on the ward name alone.

The published fee schedule

Fee: £740
Licence term: Up to 5 years
Fee schedule dated: 2026

Discounts

Single discount (accreditation/Propertymark, OR EPC-C+, OR registered charity - one of): £75
Double discount (meets two of the discount criteria; maximum combined): £150

Other charges

Late fee (application made 28+ days after licence required): £840
Multi-dwelling residential-block licence: fee reduction from the second flat onwards (same ownership/management): £50

Council source · read 6 August 2026

Article 4 and HMO planning permission in Brighton and Hove In force

2 HMO Article 4 directions are in force in Brighton and Hove covering the whole council area, so the permitted-development right to convert a house (C3) into a small HMO (C4) has been removed and planning permission is needed there. Every one of Brighton and Hove's 5,077 postcodes is inside a designated area.

HMO Article 4 direction, the whole council area

Brighton & Hove City-wide Article 4 Direction (C3 to C4 small HMO)

Area: the whole council area
Right removed: C3 to C4 (small HMO)
In force from: 1 June 2020

Council notice or order

HMO Article 4 direction, part of the council area, see the direction below

Brighton & Hove 5-Ward Article 4 Direction (C3 to C4 small HMO) - predecessor, superseded by city-wide direction

Area: part of the council area, see the direction below
Right removed: C3 to C4 (small HMO)
In force from: 5 April 2013

Council notice or order

A licence is not planning permission

These are two separate consents from two separate parts of the council, and getting one does not give you the other. A licensing team can grant an HMO licence for a property that needed planning permission and never got it.

Where the permission was needed and is missing, the usual consequence lands on the licence. Councils commonly grant a short licence, often twelve months rather than the full term, to give the owner time to apply. If permission is not applied for, is refused, or an appeal fails, the council will generally refuse to extend and let the licence expire, and will generally refuse a fresh application outright once permission has been finally refused. At that point the property cannot lawfully be let as an HMO at all.

This is council practice rather than a statutory rule, and it varies, so confirm it with Brighton and Hove before you rely on it. Nottingham City Council publishes its version explicitly and is quoted here as a worked example of the approach.

Nottingham City Council, HMO and permitted development. Indicative only, not planning or legal advice.

The research note behind this verdict

Brighton & Hove has an IN-FORCE CITY-WIDE Article 4 Direction removing the C3->C4 permitted development right (GPDO Sch2 Part3 Class L). The council's own HMO planning page states: 'The Article 4 Direction means that you need planning permission for houses everywhere within the city to change from a dwelling house (Use Class C3) to a House in Multiple Occupation (Use Class C4).' This city-wide direction replaced/extended an earlier direction that covered only 5 wards (effective 5 April 2013: Hanover and Elm Grove, Hollingdean and Stanmer, Moulsecoomb and Bevendean, Queen's Park, St Peter's and North Laine). The city-wide direction was evidenced by the June 2019 'HMO Citywide Article 4 Evidence Report' and came into force circa June 2020 (kept in force since). Brighton is a major student-HMO city; the whole ONS area E06000043 is covered. Note: the council's 'Article 4 Direction area maps' page lists ~32 zone maps that are mostly heritage/conservation-area Article 4s for OTHER permitted development rights, NOT the HMO one; the HMO C3->C4 direction is separate and applies to the WHOLE city, so the recorded area type=boroughwide. planning.data.gov.uk has NO article-4-direction-area geometry loaded for Brighton (org entity 49), so no machine WGS84 polygon was obtainable; the effective area is the entire council administrative boundary (E06000043). Exact in-force day not verified from source (PDF unreadable); precise day is subordinate since coverage is the whole city.

Brighton and Hove Article 4 page · checked 26 July 2026

What happens if you let without a licence

Letting or managing an unlicensed property that needs a licence is a criminal offence, under section 72 of the Housing Act 2004 for an HMO and section 95 for a property caught by selective licensing. A council can prosecute, or impose a civil penalty instead. For conduct on or after 1 May 2026 that penalty can be up to £40,000 per offence, raised from £30,000 by the Financial Penalties (Housing Offences and Breach of Banning Orders) Regulations 2026. Tenants and the council can also apply for a rent repayment order, which for conduct from the same date can claw back up to two years of rent, up from one, under section 103 of the Renters' Rights Act 2025.

Both of those maxima apply only to conduct on or after 1 May 2026. Earlier conduct is still judged against the old £30,000 and twelve-month limits. Each breach is normally penalised separately, so an unlicensed portfolio in Brighton and Hove multiplies the exposure rather than capping it.

Sources: Housing Act 2004 s72 · SI 2026/319 · Renters' Rights Act 2025 s103 · Shelter Legal England. Indicative only, not legal advice.

The letting market in Brighton and Hove

Licensing is only one side of the sum. These are medians from real listings we have collected, with the number of listings behind each one, because a median over a handful of adverts is a different claim from a median over hundreds.

Median room rent£737 pcmFrom 1,046 room listings in Brighton and Hove.
Median whole-property rent£1,680 pcmFrom 218 whole-property listings.
Typical 4-bed rent£2,767 pcmThe comparison a room-by-room let is measured against.
HMO income premium+33%Five rooms let individually against one four-bedroom whole-property let, before the extra cost, licensing and voids that come with an HMO.
Median sale price£423,500Across 764 sales in 2026, all property types, HM Land Registry.
Gross yield, whole let4.8%Median whole-property rent for a year against the median sale price. Before voids, management, repairs, licensing and finance, all of which a real return has to carry.
Gross yield, 5-room HMO10.4%Five rooms at the median room rent against the same median sale price. The higher figure is what pays for the licence, the extra management and the higher voids, rather than being profit on top of them.
Typical household income£39,506Mean of net small-area median incomes around the council's main listing areas, not a council-wide median.
Postcodes with flood exposure0.7%36 of 5,077 indexed postcodes.
Postcodes in Flood Zone 334 (0.7%)The Environment Agency's highest-probability zone. Lenders and insurers ask about this one by name, and it is a subset of the exposure above.

Room rent by outcode

Room rent varies by £60 a month across Brighton and Hove’s outcodes, so the council-wide median above is a starting point rather than the answer for a particular street.

Median room rent by outcode in Brighton and Hove
Outcode	Median room rent	Room listings	Check a postcode
BN3	£775 pcm	237	Check BN3
BN41	£750 pcm	41	Check BN41
BN1	£736 pcm	335	Check BN1
BN2	£715 pcm	433	Check BN2

Postcode districts in Brighton and Hove

Licensing, Article 4 and the fee all turn on the exact address, because a designated area rarely follows the council boundary. LetLens holds 5,077 Brighton and Hove postcodes. Open one of its postcode districts to see the verdict, the local rent evidence and the investment model.

Common questions

Do I need an HMO licence in Brighton and Hove?

How much does an HMO licence cost in Brighton and Hove?

£906 for a five-bedroom, five-person HMO under the mandatory scheme, from the council's published fee schedule. Fee basis: band 5-5 occupants. Larger or smaller properties, and any additional or selective scheme, are priced separately.

Is there an Article 4 direction in Brighton and Hove?

Which wards in Brighton and Hove are covered by licensing?

Selective licensing under Brighton & Hove City Council Designation for an Area for Selective Licensing 2024 covers Kemptown, Moulsecoomb & Bevendean, Queen's Park, Whitehawk & Marina. A designation can cover only part of a named ward, so check the exact address rather than relying on the ward name alone.

What is the penalty for letting an unlicensed property in Brighton and Hove?

Letting or managing a property that needs a licence without one is a criminal offence under the Housing Act 2004. The council can prosecute or impose a civil penalty, which for conduct on or after 1 May 2026 can be up to £40,000 per offence, raised from £30,000 by the Financial Penalties (Housing Offences and Breach of Banning Orders) Regulations 2026. Tenants or the council can also seek a rent repayment order covering up to two years of rent for conduct from that date, up from one year, under section 103 of the Renters' Rights Act 2025. Each breach is normally penalised separately. Indicative only, not legal advice.

Do I need planning permission for an HMO in Brighton and Hove?

Where an Article 4 direction applies, yes: it removes the permitted-development right to change a house (use class C3) into a small HMO (use class C4), so that change needs a planning application. An HMO for seven or more residents needs permission anywhere, Article 4 or not. Planning is separate from licensing, and a licence does not give you permission. Where permission was needed and not obtained, councils commonly grant a licence for about twelve months rather than the full term, and generally refuse to extend it if permission is not then granted, which leaves the property unable to be let as an HMO. Practice varies by council, so confirm it with Brighton and Hove.

Can I convert a house into a small HMO in Brighton and Hove without planning permission?

Not inside the Article 4 area. The direction removes the permitted-development right, so a change of use from C3 to C4 needs a planning application. The direction covers the whole of Brighton and Hove, so there is no part of the council where the right still applies.

About Brighton and Hove

Brighton and Hove is a local housing authority in South East, with a population of about 292,000 and 5,077 live postcodes indexed by LetLens. It is the licensing authority for every private rented property inside its boundary, and the local planning authority that decides whether an Article 4 direction applies.

Nearby councils

Licensing stops at the council boundary, so a street on the other side of it can carry a different scheme and a different fee.

Contact Brighton and Hove

Brighton and Hove licensing team · [email protected] · 01273 293 156