Southampton · 2026 fees
Landlord licence fees Southampton 2026
Every fee below is Southampton City Council's own published figure, read from the page linked beside it and checked on 20 September 2026. This page sets out which licence a Southampton property needs, what each one costs, how the payment is split between application and grant, and which discounts come off.
| Scheme | Council | Fee | Term | Notes / source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mandatory HMO | Southampton City Council | £953Council’s figure | 5 yrs | Stage one £300 with the application, which is not refunded, and stage two £653 within 14 days of the licence being issued. There is a cheaper route: use one of the council’s approved independent HMO surveyors, who supplies a compliance certificate and floor plan, and the fee drops to £636, though you pay the surveyor separately. Leave it more than three months after the property becomes licensable and it is £1,618. Council fees from 1 October 2025. Council page |
| Additional HMO | Southampton City Council | £953Council’s figure | 5 yrs | The council publishes one fee scale for HMO licences, so an additional licence costs the same £953, or £636 through an approved surveyor. The scheme runs from 1 October 2025 to 30 September 2030, and a licence lasts five years or until the scheme ends. It catches purpose-built flats with five or more occupants in a block of three or more self-contained flats, which fall outside mandatory licensing. Council page |
How to read these Southampton 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 and Additional HMO in Southampton:
- 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 Southampton
How much does a landlord licence cost in Southampton in 2026?
Southampton City Council publishes these fees: Mandatory HMO £953 and Additional HMO £953. 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 Southampton City Council'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
