Bournemouth, Christchurch & Poole · 2026 fees
Landlord licence fees Bournemouth, Christchurch & Poole 2026
BCP Council licenses any HMO let to five or more people forming two or more households across Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole. Two things are worth knowing before you budget. Accreditation through an approved scheme takes 20 per cent off the fee, which is £302 on a new licence. And Article 4 Directions in parts of all three towns remove permitted development for small HMOs, so planning permission can be needed alongside the licence. The figures below are the council’s own.
| Scheme | Council | Fee | Term | Notes / source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mandatory HMO (new) | BCP Council (Bournemouth, Christchurch & Poole) | £1,511Council’s figure | 5 yrs | Stage one £486.50 with the application and stage two £1,024.50 once the notice of intention to grant arrives, plus £27.50 a unit above six, added to stage two. Accreditation through an approved scheme takes 20 per cent off. Article 4 Directions in parts of all three towns also mean a small C4 HMO can need planning permission as well as the licence. Council page |
| Mandatory HMO (renewal) | BCP Council (Bournemouth, Christchurch & Poole) | £1,391.50Council’s figure | 5 yrs | Stage one £399 and stage two £992.50. A licence lasts up to five years and has to be renewed at the end of it. Council page |
How to read these Bournemouth, Christchurch & Poole licence fees
Which fee applies depends on the type of licence a property needs. Three regimes operate across England, and the schedule above covers Mandatory HMO (new) and Mandatory HMO (renewal) in Bournemouth, Christchurch & Poole:
- Mandatory HMO licence, required for any house in multiple occupation with five or more people forming two or more households, anywhere in England.
- Additional HMO licence, which a council can extend HMO licensing to smaller shared houses inside a designated area.
- Selective licence, covering most or all privately rented homes (not just HMOs) within a specific designated zone, set in five-yearly cycles.
Fees are set per council, usually run for a five-year term and are commonly charged per property, though some authorities add a per-room element for larger HMOs. Following the Hemming and Gaskin court rulings, many councils now split the cost into a Part A application charge and a Part B grant charge, so the headline figure can be payable in two stages. Early-application and accreditation discounts are widely available and can cut the total noticeably.
Because each authority sets and reviews its own schedule independently, two neighbouring councils can differ by hundreds of pounds for the same property. Budget from the specific council’s current fee page, linked in the table, rather than a city-wide average.
FAQs: landlord licence fees in Bournemouth, Christchurch & Poole
How much does a landlord licence cost in Bournemouth, Christchurch & Poole in 2026?
BCP Council (Bournemouth, Christchurch & Poole) publishes these fees: Mandatory HMO (new) £1,511 and Mandatory HMO (renewal) £1,391.50. Each covers 5 years and came straight off the council page linked beside each row, checked on 20 September 2026. The table shows how a fee splits between the application and the grant, and which discounts come off. Most councils reprice on 1 April.
Are licence fees per property or per landlord?
Per property. If you own multiple let properties in designated areas, each one typically needs its own licence and fee. Some councils run portfolio discounts for accredited landlords.
What happens if I let without a licence?
Letting a property that requires a selective or HMO licence without one is a criminal offence. Civil penalties reach £40,000 for offences from 1 May 2026, and tenants can apply for a Rent Repayment Order of up to two years’ rent. Ignorance of the scheme is not a defence.
Do licence fees change year to year?
Yes. Most councils reprice on 1 April and a new scheme cycle can move the fee further. The amounts above are BCP Council (Bournemouth, Christchurch & Poole)'s published figures as at 20 September 2026; the council link beside each row is always the live position.
Can I claim licence fees as a rental expense?
HMRC generally treats landlord licence fees as a deductible rental business expense for income tax where the licence is required to let the property. If the fee covers more than one tax year you may need to apportion it. Check with your accountant for your circumstances.
Related
Other cities
