East Sussex: landlord licensing sits with the district councils
East Sussex County Council directs private landlords to the relevant district or borough council rather than operating a county-wide licensing scheme. Mandatory HMO licensing is confirmed in the linked local authority material, but schemes, fees and planning controls differ between Eastbourne, Hastings, Rother, Wealden and Lewes.
Start with the district, not the county
East Sussex County Council says housing services are usually provided by the local district or borough council. A landlord should identify whether the property is in Eastbourne or Lewes, Hastings, Rother or Wealden before checking licensing, fees or planning. A single county-wide selective or additional licensing position is UNVERIFIED - could not confirm on council website.
What the district sources say
Eastbourne's shared Lewes and Eastbourne service confirms mandatory licensing for five or more unrelated occupiers forming separate households and sharing amenities, with renewals requested at least four weeks before expiry. Its 2026/27 fee schedule is published but the exact figures are UNVERIFIED - could not confirm on council website. Eastbourne's Article 4 Direction took effect on 30 July 2025 in Devonshire, Meads, Upperton and part of St Anthony's ward, where planning permission is required for small HMOs of three to six people.
Hastings confirms mandatory licensing and licences of up to five years. Its additional HMO designation ended on 3 May 2023 and its selective scheme ended on 25 October 2020; a current replacement selective scheme is UNVERIFIED - could not confirm on council website. Rother confirms the national mandatory threshold and says it does not operate additional or selective licensing. Rother also publishes civil penalties up to £30,000 and a 30% additional premium for an unlicensed property, while its online register is currently unavailable.
Wealden confirms the national mandatory threshold, normally grants five-year licences, and says it does not operate selective licensing or plan to introduce it. It publishes civil penalties up to £30,000 for operating without a licence and says licence-condition breaches may attract a fine up to £5,000. Its current fee year, additional HMO position and HMO-specific Article 4 position are UNVERIFIED - could not confirm on council website. Lewes-specific current designations and fees are also UNVERIFIED - could not confirm on council website.
Verify the correct district route via East Sussex County Council's Housing and local housing office pages, then check the Lewes and Eastbourne, Hastings, Rother or Wealden licensing pages and registers. Illustrative guide - scheme boundaries and dates change; general information, not legal advice.
Renewal tracked from expiry, reminders from 60 days out, proof of service to tenants logged. Knows the 2-month early-renewal rule that keeps your date fixed.
Five years goes quicker than you think. Kept remembers so you don't have to - including the 28-day duty to give tenants a copy.
Expiry tracked from the certificate details you confirm - band E is the current minimum for most domestic private lets unless exempt, and proposed changes are flagged only when they become law.
30-day protection window tracked from the day the money lands - not the tenancy date - with prescribed information logged.
Check dates and follow-up dates for time-limited permissions, stored against each tenant.
Smoke alarms every storey, CO alarms where required, checked and dated at the start of every tenancy.
A one-off duty for tenancies that existed on 1 May 2026. Who was served, when, and how - the £7,000 question, answered with a dated record.
Preparation and export support for the future official registration process - clearly marked as planned.
Selective licensing (ordinary lets): UNVERIFIED - could not confirm on council website; varies by district. See the local picture above - every other duty applies exactly as it does nationwide.
Add a postcode and Kept resolves the council, location and local context automatically.
Planned preparation and export support for the government's regional PRS Database rollout.