HMO, additional and selective licences on the landlord register
Updated · Information, not legal advice
Short answer
For each let property, the register asks whether it needs an HMO licence, an additional licence or a selective licence, and if so, the licence numbers if available. An HMO is registered once as a whole property, not room by room, so it is one registration and one fee. You also give the number of occupants and the number of households.
Licensing is the part of the register most likely to trip up landlords with shared houses, or with properties in areas where the council runs a licensing scheme. This guide covers what the register asks, how HMOs are registered, and how to count occupants and households. It is general information, not legal advice. Your council’s website is the authority on which schemes apply to your property.
What the register asks
From Schedule 3 of the draft regulations, the tenancy and safety section of each property registration asks for:
| Question | Notes |
|---|---|
| Does the dwelling require an HMO licence, an additional licence or a selective licence? | Answer for the property as it is let now |
| If so, the licence numbers, if available | From the licence issued by the council |
| Number of occupants | People living there |
| Number of households | See below |
Your letting agent can fill these in through the per-property link if you set that up.
The three types of licence
| Licence | Covers | Who decides |
|---|---|---|
| HMO licence (mandatory) | Houses in multiple occupation that meet the national definition for mandatory licensing, broadly five or more people forming two or more households | National rule, licensed by your council |
| Additional licence | Other, usually smaller, HMOs in an area the council has designated | Council scheme |
| Selective licence | Most privately rented homes, not just HMOs, in a designated area | Council scheme |
Additional and selective schemes run for set periods and cover set areas. They can start, end, be renewed or have their boundaries changed. Check your council’s current schemes for each property on the day you register.
Registering an HMO
GOV.UK is clear: if you rent out a property with an HMO licence, do one registration for the whole property. You don’t register each room. That means:
- one rental property number,
- one £65 annual fee (pro-rated during the rollout),
- one set of certificates (gas, EICR, EPC) for the property.
The occupancy questions are where the detail goes.
Counting occupants and households
The register asks for the number of occupants and the number of households in the dwelling.
- Occupants means the people living there, including children.
- A household is, in general terms, a family living together: a single person, a couple, or a family (with related people). Five unrelated sharers are five households. A couple sharing a room is one household.
These counts change often in shared houses. When a room is re-let, a couple moves in or a tenant’s partner moves in, the numbers on the register may need updating within 28 days. See the 28-day update rule.
Common problems
- The licence holder is not the registering landlord. Licences are sometimes held by a managing agent or a company director rather than the owner. The register asks about the property’s licence, so use the licence number whoever holds it, but make sure the details agree.
- The licence has expired or the scheme has ended. Licences usually last up to five years. An expired licence on a property that still needs one is a licensing problem before it is a register problem.
- Application pending. If you have applied but have no number yet, answer that the property needs a licence and add the number once you have it.
- Numbers that don’t match the licence. If the licence allows four households and the register says five, a council officer will notice. The register makes these mismatches easy to spot.
Why this matters more now
Before the register, councils had to find unlicensed properties themselves. Now landlords give the licensing status, occupant numbers and household numbers for every let property, along with their certificates, all in one place. Accurate answers protect you. Careless ones could count as “recklessly” giving misleading information, which carries penalties of up to £40,000. See penalties.
How to get ready
- For each property, check your council’s website for current HMO, additional and selective licensing schemes.
- Find the licence document and note the licence number and expiry date.
- Count current occupants and households.
- Check that your gas, electrical and EPC certificates cover the whole building.
Our checklist has a licensing section. Check your region’s dates with the deadline checker.
When is your deadline?
Enter a property postcode in the deadline checker to see its region, opening date and days left. Or get the free printable checklist.
Frequently asked questions
Do I register each room in an HMO separately?
My licence application is still being processed. What do I enter?
Is a selective licence the same as an HMO licence?
Can my letting agent enter the licence details?
This guide is general information about the Register your rental property service, based on GOV.UK guidance and the draft regulations. It is not legal advice. Register-Ready is independent of GOV.UK. For your own situation, check the GOV.UK guidance or take professional advice.