Landlord licensing and compliance in Gosport
Gosport says qualifying HMOs occupied by five or more people from at least two households need a licence, normally for five years. The council describes shared fire-safety arrangements with Fareham Borough Council and Hampshire Fire and Rescue, with Gosport as lead authority for HMOs. Its 2026 fees PDF is available, but the HMO fee amounts could not be extracted.
Mandatory HMO licensing
Gosport says qualifying HMOs with five or more occupiers from two or more households sharing amenities need a licence. It states that licences last five years. The council refers to a public register, but the direct property lookup process was UNVERIFIED - could not confirm on council website; ask the council to confirm the current status of the address.
Shared fire-safety arrangements
Gosport describes shared fire-safety arrangements with Fareham Borough Council and Hampshire Fire and Rescue, with Gosport as the lead authority for HMOs. Check the local council's instructions for the property rather than assuming another organisation issues the licence.
Fees and planning need separate checks
The council publishes a 2026 fees-and-charges schedule, stated to take effect from 1 January 2026 unless otherwise noted, but the HMO fee rows could not be extracted. Confirm application and renewal charges directly. Gosport lists property-specific Article 4(2) conservation directions; no current borough-wide HMO conversion direction was confirmed. Planning consent may still be required for the use.
The HMO page says breaches of management regulations may attract a fine up to £5,000 and that operating a licensable HMO without a licence is an offence. Current RRO practice, penalty policy and published enforcement outcomes were UNVERIFIED - could not confirm on council website.
Sources: Gosport Borough Council HMO guidance, 2026 fees and charges, Article 4 directions and official ONS area information. Confirm current HMO charges, register access and planning requirements 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.