Landlord licensing and compliance in Guildford
Guildford's mandatory HMO threshold is five or more unrelated occupants from at least two households sharing facilities. Planning is separate: the council says a licence may be limited to one year where planning consent is missing. Two council pages show different HMO fees, and neither confirms its fee year, so verify the amount in the current application process.
Licensing and management rules
Guildford requires a mandatory HMO licence for qualifying homes occupied by five or more unrelated people from at least two households sharing facilities. The council says three- and four-person shared homes may fall below that licence threshold but remain subject to HMO management regulations and housing law. A 2024 committee record said evidence then did not support additional licensing; because that position is dated, current additional and selective licensing status were UNVERIFIED - could not confirm on council website.
Fees are inconsistent across council pages
The current application page lists £1,079, with discounts of £25 for a recognised landlord organisation or £50 for Guildford Letting Scheme accreditation. A separate HMO information page lists £1,037.34. Neither page states the fee year, and the correct amount for an application on 23 September 2026 was UNVERIFIED - could not confirm on council website. Confirm the amount in the live application process before paying.
Planning can shorten the licence
Guildford says a licence may be restricted to one year if required planning consent is absent, giving the landlord 12 months to obtain permission or reduce occupancy. Its planning guidance lists minimum room sizes of 6.51 m² for a licensable HMO and 7.5 m² where planning permission is required. The council's July 2024 record did not support an Article 4 direction, but current status was not confirmed; check the latest planning position and the linked register for the property.
Sources: Guildford Borough Council HMO guidance and application, housing licences, HMO planning page, 2026/27 fees pages and July 2024 committee record. Verify current fee, licence term, register status and licensing designations 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 current status. 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.