# Licensing in Isle of Wight

> Isle of Wight has no selective or additional licensing scheme in force.

- Checked 26 Oct 2026 (researched_at 2026-10-26, verified_at 2026-10-26)
- Region: South East
- ONS code: E06000046
- Web page: https://lettance.com/councils/isle-of-wight
- API: https://lettance.com/api/v1/councils/isle-of-wight

## Licensing schemes

### Mandatory HMO licence: Mandatory HMO licensing (national scheme, Isle of Wight Council)

- Status: In force (`in_force`)
- Area: The whole of the Isle of Wight (national scheme).
- Fee: Not yet confirmed. The council's HMO information page publishes no fee; it asks landlords to phone 01983 823040 or email the Housing Renewal team to check whether a licence is needed or to apply. No HMO fee appears on the council's licensing or environmental health fees pages.
- Who needs one: HMOs with five or more tenants forming more than one household who share a toilet, bathroom or kitchen (the council page calls these large HMOs; national mandatory test).
- Apply: https://www.iow.gov.uk/article/2620/Houses-in-multiple-occupancy-HMO-information
- Confidence: Medium
- How we checked this: Applications are made by contacting the Housing Renewal team; the council's lists and registers page includes a register of houses in multiple occupation.
- Sources: https://www.iow.gov.uk/article/2620/Houses-in-multiple-occupancy-HMO-information

## Article 4 for house shares

Not yet confirmed: whether Isle of Wight has an Article 4 direction on house shares.

Council source: https://www.iow.gov.uk/search?q=article+4+direction

## Civil penalty policy

The council's policy sets how it decides the size of a fine. The version we found has been updated for the Renters' Rights Act.

The Adult Social Care, Public Health and Housing Needs Committee on 13 August 2026 (item 17d) approved the adoption of the Housing Authority Enforcement Policy and of the Civil Penalty Notice Policy 'to enable the council to meet its statutory duties under the Renters' Rights Act 2025', with delegated authority for minor amendments (https://iow.moderngov.co.uk/ieListDocuments.aspx?CId=398&MId=2499&Ver=4). The appended policy (August 2026, marked 'DRAFT 2.0' in the committee papers) covers £7,000 and £40,000 penalties; failure to obtain an HMO licence (s.72(1)) has a £17,000 starting point (landlord-type adjustment £13,600 / £20,400). It lists no selective licensing offences.

Policy: https://iow.moderngov.co.uk/documents/s23501/8d.%20Appendix%202%20-%20IWC%20Civil%20Penalties%20Notice%20Policy%20Renters%20Rights%20Act%20Aug%202026.pdf

## Consultations

We found no consultations when we researched Isle of Wight.

## Not yet confirmed

We could not settle these points when we researched Isle of Wight on 26 October 2026. Check them with the council before you rely on them.

- The HMO licence fee and licence term are not published; confirm with the Housing Renewal team.
- No selective or additional licensing scheme was found on the council website or in the 2026 agendas of the Adult Social Care, Public Health and Housing Needs, Environment and Community Protection, and Policy, Finance and Resources committees and Full Council (the committee document search index returns no results for any query). The adopted civil penalty policy lists no selective licensing offences. Absence is inferred, not stated by the council.
- Article 4: whether Isle of Wight has an HMO (C3 to C4) Article 4 direction is not confirmed. Checked: a council site search for 'article 4 direction' (conservation-area schedules only) and planning.data.gov.uk (no Article 4 records for the council). None was found, but absence is inferred, not stated by the council; confirm with its planning team.

## Landlord register

The national landlord register is separate from licensing. Isle of Wight is in South East, where registration is planned from 15 March 2027 to 14 June 2027. The regulations are still in draft. Read about the register: https://lettance.com/register

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From Lettance: https://lettance.com/councils/isle-of-wight (catalogue edition 31 October 2026). This is information, not legal advice. Check the linked sources, and the council's own pages, before you act.