HMO licensing in Fareham

Fareham Borough Council operates the national mandatory scheme. We found no additional or selective licensing scheme in force or proposed as of September 2026. Councils can introduce one after a public consultation, so it is worth setting an alert.

The published fee for a new HMO licence is £1,090. Fees can depend on the number of occupants or lettings, and they are reviewed each year.

Two-part fee that scales by number of occupants, per the council's Fees and Charges 2026-27 book (charges apply from 1 April 2026). Fee on application (paid with the application) plus fee on grant (paid just before the licence is granted): 5 people £727 + £363 = £1,090; 6-10 people £913 + £457 = £1,370; 11-15 people £1,100 + £550 = £1,650; 16-20 people £1,276 + £633 = £1,909; more than 20 people £1,453 + £727 = £2,180 (not subject to VAT). The headline figure used here (£1,090) is the '5 people' tier, the lowest tier. The 2025/26 totals shown alongside in the same table (£1,050 / £1,320 / £1,590 / £1,839 / £2,100) equal the 2025/26 application + grant split in the 2025-26 fee book, and 2026/27 figures rise about 3.7-3.9% consistently, which confirms the row/column reading. Registered charities are exempt from HMO licence fees. No landlord-accreditation or landlord-association discount is published (the application form only asks for details of any accreditation schemes held). No separate renewal fee is published; the fee schedule does not distinguish new and renewal applications, so renewalGbp is left null rather than assumed. Refunds after the licence is granted only in exceptional circumstances.

Check the current fee on the council website (fareham.gov.uk) before you apply.

National minimums for licensed HMOs are 6.51 m² for one adult and 10.22 m² for two adults; councils can apply higher local standards.

• The council states that fire safety standards follow the LACORS/CIEH/CFOA 'Housing - Fire Safety' guidance (August 2008); it does not publish its own fire safety standards document, so specific requirements are set property by property.
• The council's application form states the standard of fire protection required varies with each property; it asks for details of smoke alarms (number and location), fire extinguishers, fire blankets, protected escape routes with fire doors and warning notices, but says providing these is not necessarily required if missing.
• Fareham and Gosport Borough Councils and Hampshire Fire & Rescue Service signed a joint fire safety protocol (January 2009); new HMOs receive an initial joint visit with a Fire Safety Officer. Fareham is lead authority for HMOs; Hampshire Fire & Rescue leads for mixed commercial and residential properties.
• A copy of the current fire risk assessment must be supplied with the application, along with test reports for any automatic fire detection system and any emergency lighting, and information/training for occupiers on escape routes; fire warning signs are only appropriate for properties over 4 storeys.
• Upholstered furniture supplied must comply with the Furniture and Furnishings (Fire) (Safety) Regulations 1988 (as amended).

• Bathrooms (Amenity Standards, April 2009): 1-4 persons at least one bathroom and one WC (WC may be in the bathroom) with a wash hand basin; 5 persons one bathroom plus one separate WC with basin (or two bathrooms each with WC and basin); 6-10 persons at least two bathrooms and two WCs with basins (one WC in a separate compartment); 11-15 persons at least three bathrooms and three separate WCs with basins. Wash hand basin in each sleeping room where reasonably practicable for 6+ persons. Bathroom mechanical extraction of 15 litres/second.
• Shared house kitchens: one standard cooker (4 hotplates, oven, grill) per 5 persons (a microwave can extend this to 7 persons, but above 7 a second cooker is needed; where households have more than one person, one cooker per 3 lettings); one single-bowl sink and drainer per 5 persons (a dishwasher counts as an additional sink).
• Shared house kitchens: 2 double sockets per 5 persons in the kitchen (in addition to appliance sockets); 2000 x 500 mm worktop per 5 persons plus 500 mm per additional person for 5-9 persons; cupboard space of at least 0.16 m³ per person; one under-worktop fridge (about 5 cu ft) per 5 persons.
• Bedsit-type lettings with their own kitchen: a two-plate and grill cooker suffices for one person, single bowl sink and drainer, 1000 x 500 mm worktop, 0.16 m³ storage per person, tabletop fridge (about 2 cu ft), 2 double sockets in the kitchen area plus 2 elsewhere in the bedsit.
• Kitchen extraction: 30 litres/second if above the hob or 60 litres/second if elsewhere in the room. Fixed, wall-mounted controllable heating in every habitable room, bathroom, kitchen and general circulation area.
• No kitchen more than one floor from users (unless communal living or dining space is on the same floor or within one floor); personal washing/WC facilities no more than one floor distant in bedsits or two floors in shared housing.

• Floor plan — Showing layout, use and approximate size of each room and the position of any smoke alarms (also fire escape routes).
• Gas safety certificate — Current annual Gas Safe record for all appliances and installations.
• Electrical Installation Condition Report (EICR) — Periodic electrical installation condition report dated within 5 years.
• Portable appliance test (PAT) reports — For landlord-supplied appliances, dated within 1 year.
• Fire detection and emergency lighting test reports — Test reports for the automatic fire detection system and emergency lighting where present.
• Current fire risk assessment — A copy of the current fire risk assessment.
• Building regulations/planning evidence — Building regulations compliance certificate and planning consent date if building work needing them was carried out in the last five years.
• Tenancy agreement example — A blank copy of the written tenancy agreement given to tenants, if provided.
• Insurance and fee confirmation — Confirmation of appropriate landlord's HMO and buildings insurance, and that the licence fee (fee on application) has been or is about to be paid.

• fareham.gov.uk
• fareham.gov.uk
• fareham.gov.uk
• fareham.gov.uk
• fareham.gov.uk

Compiled from the council’s own published pages and documents; data reviewed September 2026. Rules and fees change, so always confirm with Fareham Borough Council before applying. This is general information, not legal advice.