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Licensing in Exeter

Exeter has no selective or additional licensing scheme in force.

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Check an address in Exeter

We'll match the postcode to its ward and the schemes below.

Licensing, ward by ward

Select a ward to see its name and licensing.

  • National rules only13

Current ward boundaries from ONS. Some homes are exempt, so check your postcode and the scheme details below.

Selective licensing
None
Additional HMO licensing
No
Article 4 on house shares
Yes
Consultation
None open

Licensing schemes

  • Mandatory HMO licence

    In force

    Mandatory HMO licensing (national scheme, Exeter fees)

    Area

    The whole of Exeter City Council's area (national scheme).

    Fee

    Published standard fee: £1,071.20

    Council application page (last updated 22 September 2026) gives 2025/2026 fees: Part A £298.70 payable with the application; Part B £772.50 plus £10.80 per bedroom for bedrooms six and above (examples: 5-bedroom HMO Part B £772.50; 7-bedroom £794.10). A £125 reduction at Part B applies if the applicant is accredited under a nationally recognised scheme. standard_gbp is Part A plus Part B for a 5-bedroom HMO (£298.70 + £772.50). The page labels these 2025/2026 fees; no 2026/27 figure was shown.

    Who needs one
    HMOs with 5 or more occupiers living in 2 or more households who share an amenity such as a kitchen, bathroom or toilet. The council's page notes that some flats, including flats over shops, also need a licence if occupied by 5 or more people from 2 or more households.
    Exemptions
    Statutory exemptions under Schedule 14 to the Housing Act 2004.
    Apply on the council’s websiteLicence conditions
    How we checked this

    The council's application page says 'our HMO additional licensing scheme has now expired. This form is for Mandatory licensing', and that 'The additional licensing scheme ran until February 2020'; existing additional licences remained valid for five years from application with no renewal required. The council publishes an HMO licence register. The mandatory licence length is not stated on the page.

    Sources

Article 4 for house shares

Exeter has an Article 4 direction on HMOs (houses in multiple occupation, or shared houses). Turning a family home into a shared house may need planning permission.

Area
Specific map-defined parts of the city (not whole wards). The '2023 Article 4 Direction' (planning.data.gov.uk A4D16) removes the right to change a house (C3) to a small HMO (C4) on the land 'shown edged and shaded green on the attached plans'; the council's HMO SPD and Article 4 page says it 'covers part of Exeter', shows the area in pink on its interactive map, and states it 'came into force on 23 December 2024'. Council approved making it with non-immediate effect on 12 December 2023, and a February 2024 report recommended confirmation with effect from 23 December 2024. It replaces and enlarges the 2010/2014 HMO direction (St James ward and parts of Duryard, Newtown, Pennsylvania, Polsloe and St Davids wards as then drawn), which planning.data.gov.uk records as ended 23 December 2024. Check the council's map for a given address.
Takes effect
23 Dec 2024

Council source

Civil penalty policy

Not yet confirmed

We have not found Exeter's civil penalty policy yet.

Consultations

We found no consultations when we researched Exeter.

Not yet confirmed

We could not settle these points when we researched Exeter. Check them with the council before you rely on them.

  • Not yet confirmed

    No current or proposed additional or selective licensing was found. The council's application page states the additional scheme expired in February 2020, and Exeter committee agendas from February to October 2026 contain no new designation proposal. The council does not state the absence.

  • Not yet confirmed

    Exeter's civil penalty policy document (and whether it has been updated for the Renters' Rights Act £7,000/£40,000 levels) was not located.

  • Not yet confirmed

    The 2023 Article 4 HMO direction boundary is map-defined; it was not converted into wards or streets. The confirmation date was not legible on the sealed direction.

  • Not yet confirmed

    The application page labels the fees 2025/2026 (page last updated 22 September 2026); no 2026/27 HMO fee was found.

Landlord register

The national landlord register is separate from licensing. Exeter is in South West, where registration is planned from 15 August 2027 to 14 November 2027. The regulations are still in draft. Read about the register