Landlord licensing and compliance in Folkestone and Hythe
Folkestone and Hythe requires a licence for qualifying HMOs occupied by five or more people from two or more households, regardless of the building's size. The mandatory-HMO register is not available online and must be requested or viewed in person. The council's HMO fees have no confirmed current fee year, and its enforcement pages state different penalty ceilings.
Mandatory licensing and register access
The council says an HMO with five or more people from two or more households needs a licence, regardless of the building's size. It expects suitable amenities, a fit-and-proper licence holder and appropriate management. The register is not online: request it by email or arrange to inspect it at the Civic Centre. Confirm the current licence term with the council.
Fees need a current-year check
The HMO page displays £1,130 for an application and £960 for renewal, but does not state a fee year. Although the council publishes a 2026/27 fees schedule, these HMO amounts could not be verified there as current. Ask for the current tariff and any instalment terms before applying.
Preserve the enforcement discrepancy
The HMO page says failure to licence may attract a fine up to £30,000. The council's civil-penalty policy, Version 2 dated 24 July 2026, describes penalties up to £40,000 for specified housing offences. These are different statements on council pages and should not be merged into a single figure. The policy also says prosecution or a civil penalty may be used. Rent repayment order practice and prosecution examples were UNVERIFIED - could not confirm on council website.
Check Longage Hill planning controls
The council lists Article 4 directions for land at Longage Hill, Lyminge, confirmed on 3 June 2024 and 10 December 2024. Its summary does not establish that they restrict HMO conversion; consult the direction documents and map for the affected development classes and boundary. Planning controls do not replace licensing.
Sources: Folkestone and Hythe District Council HMO licensing and register, 2026/27 fees index, civil-penalty policy and Longage Hill Article 4 information. Verify current fees, register status and planning scope with the council. 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. 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.