Landlord licensing and compliance in the Forest of Dean
Forest of Dean says qualifying HMOs need a licence for up to five years, including certain purpose-built flats in blocks of up to two flats. It publishes a July 2026 HMO register, but the HMO fee page is not year-labelled and its 2026/27 fee annex could not be reconciled reliably. Confirm current charges and planning restrictions directly with the council.
Check the property definition carefully
The council describes mandatory licensing for qualifying HMOs with five or more people from two or more households sharing facilities. Its definition includes certain purpose-built flats in blocks of up to two flats, so do not assume a flat is exempt without checking the council's criteria. A licence is normally valid for up to five years.
Register and standards
Forest of Dean publishes an HMO register dated July 2026 and says the full public register can also be requested by email. Check the entry and confirm current status with the council. Its HMO guidance sets out amenity requirements and explains rent repayment orders for unlicensed periods.
Fees and Article 4 need confirmation
The HMO page lists application, issue and renewal charges without a fee year. The council's 2026/27 annex contains ambiguous or interleaved fee rows that could not be safely matched to the HMO tariff, so no amount is confirmed as current. The council lists Article 4 directions for Newnham and English Bicknor, but their dates, boundaries and effect on HMO conversions were UNVERIFIED - could not confirm on council website.
The HMO page refers to civil penalties up to £30,000 per offence and includes a separate fine statement dated October 2018. Do not treat the older figure as current. Check the current enforcement policy and penalty amount with the council; additional and selective licensing status was also UNVERIFIED - could not confirm on council website.
Sources: Forest of Dean District Council HMO licensing and register, 2026/27 fees annex, Article 4 information and civil-penalty policy. Verify current fees, enforcement figures and property-specific planning controls 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.