Plymouth: mandatory HMO licensing, accreditation discounts and a penalty update
Plymouth's current landlord material describes mandatory HMO licensing for properties occupied by at least five people from more than one household. A new licence costs £1,097, or £982 for an accredited landlord, and the licence is personal to its holder. Plymouth's 2026 civil-penalty policy now gives a maximum of £40,000, although an older application page still displays £30,000.
Accreditation saves money
Plymouth charges £1,097 for a new mandatory HMO licence and £1,040 for a renewal. Accredited landlords pay £982 and £924 respectively. The council recognises the National Residential Landlords Association, Private Rented Sector Accreditation Scheme, Landlord Accreditation South West and London Landlord Accreditation Scheme. Fees are non-refundable, and the council can invoice for a shortfall if the wrong fee is paid.
The licence belongs to the applicant
Plymouth issues a licence to a specific party and does not transfer it when the property is sold. The sale must be reported, and the purchaser or new licence holder must submit a new application. A variation can deal with some changes during the term, but it is not a way to pass the licence to a new owner.
A complete application matters
Applications require current electrical, gas and fire-safety certificates, a property plan and information about the proposed management arrangements. The statutory processing period is stated as up to twelve months, although the current page says applications are presently being processed within three months. Plan around the longer period when a tenancy or purchase depends on the licence.
Keep the public-register request in mind
Plymouth publishes a public register of licensed HMOs. A full copy costs £52 and includes landlord and managing-agent names and addresses and permitted occupier numbers; it can be requested online or viewed by appointment. That is separate from the general Licensing Act premises register, which does not answer an HMO licensing question.
Read the current penalty policy
Plymouth's current 2026 civil-penalty policy gives a £17,000 starting point for failure to obtain an HMO licence and a statutory maximum of £40,000. It also covers over-occupation, management regulations and licence-condition breaches. An older application page still says £30,000, so check the current policy and notice rather than quoting the stale page.
Verify current fees, application requirements and penalties via Plymouth City Council's HMO licensing, public-register and 2026 civil-penalty policy pages. Illustrative guide - fees and policies 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.
Mandatory HMO licensing (5+ occupants): YES - national. 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.