HMO licensing in Havant

Havant 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 £817.09, and £817.09 to renew. Fees can depend on the number of occupants or lettings, and they are reviewed each year.

HMO licence fee is a single flat fee (not split into part-payments) scaled by number of occupants, covering a 5-year licence. The same fee schedule is used for both new applications and renewals — no separate discounted renewal rate or accredited-landlord discount is published. Current fees (5-year licence): 0–5 occupants £817.09; 6–10 occupants £873.66; 11–15 occupants £984.64; 16–20 occupants £1,302.34; 20+ occupants charged at an additional hourly rate on top.

Check the current fee on the council website (havant.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.

• As a minimum, all HMOs must have mains-wired, interlinked smoke detectors on escape routes and in any communal living room, and mains-wired heat detectors in all rooms containing cooking facilities; systems must comply with BS 5839 Part 6
• Fire doors are not usually required in one/two-storey shared houses (though doors must still be of sound construction) but are required in properties occupied as bedsits
• Exit doors and bedroom door locks must be openable from the inside without a key (thumb-turn/snib); hasp-and-staple, padlock and sliding-bolt locks are not acceptable on the outside of bedroom doors
• Fire blankets conforming to BS 7944:1999 or BS EN 1869:1997 are required in all rooms with cooking facilities, wall-mounted close to (but not above/behind) the cooking facilities
• Where electricity is supplied via a prepayment meter for which the landlord is responsible, a separate supply must be provided for the fire detection system
• Landlords/managers must have carried out a Fire Risk Assessment under the Fire Safety (Regulatory Reform) Order 2005, which must be submitted with the licence application and may be requested by the council at any time

• Bathroom/WC provision scales with occupancy: up to 5 occupants – 1 bathroom + 1 separate WC with WHB (WC may be within a second bathroom, or a single separate WC is allowed); 6–10 occupants – 2 bathrooms (with WCs, at least one separate); 11–15 occupants – 3 bathrooms; 16–20 occupants – 4 bathrooms (each band with a proportionate number of separate WCs)
• No personal washing or toilet facility should be more than one floor distant from the rooms it serves
• In licensable HMOs a wash hand basin should be provided within each letting room where reasonably practicable; landlords must demonstrate where this is not practicable
• No kitchen facility should be more than one floor distant from the users of that kitchen; a second kitchen may be appropriate for 10+ occupants
• Minimum kitchen size (shared houses): 7.5 sq m for up to 5 occupants; 10 sq m for 6–10 occupants; must be large enough to safely fit the required kitchen facilities
• Minimum living space (shared houses): 11 sq m for up to 5 occupants (or an 18 sq m combined kitchen/living room), 14 sq m for 6–10 occupants (or a 24 sq m combined kitchen/living room)
• A wall-mounted fire blanket must be provided in each kitchen, sited near but not above/behind the cooking facilities, plus adequate food storage space

• Completed HMO licence application form — National mandatory-licensing form (online) or the council's simplified paper form
• Gas safety certificate — Relevant certificate relating to gas safety, required with the application (Havant BC HMO Licensing Policy)
• Electrical safety certificate — Relevant certificate relating to electrical safety, required with the application
• Fire alarm servicing certificate — Certificate confirming servicing of the fire alarm/detection system
• Emergency lighting servicing certificate — Where emergency escape lighting is fitted, a servicing certificate is required
• Furniture safety certification — Evidence of compliance with furniture and furnishings fire safety requirements
• Floor plans — A set of floor plans for the property — need not be to scale or professionally drawn
• Fire Risk Assessment — Required under the Fire Safety (Regulatory Reform) Order 2005 and must be submitted with the application
• Licence fee — Payment of the relevant fee based on number of occupants

• havant.gov.uk
• havant.gov.uk
• havant.moderngov.co.uk

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