# Licensing in Isles of Scilly

> Isles of Scilly 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 West
- ONS code: E06000053
- Web page: https://lettance.com/councils/isles-of-scilly
- API: https://lettance.com/api/v1/councils/isles-of-scilly

## Licensing schemes

### Mandatory HMO licence: Mandatory HMO licensing (national scheme, Council of the Isles of Scilly)

- Status: In force (`in_force`)
- Area: The whole of the Isles of Scilly (national scheme).
- Fee: Not yet confirmed. No fee is published on the council's HMO pages; its private sector housing policy page says 'Please contact the Environmental Health department for a full breakdown of the fees and charges.'
- Licence length: 5 years
- Who needs one: Properties rented to 5 or more people who form more than 1 household and share (or lack) amenities such as kitchens, bathrooms or toilets.
- Exemptions: Statutory exemptions under Schedule 14 to the Housing Act 2004.
- Apply: https://www.scilly.gov.uk/community-safety/housing/private-sector-housing/houses-multiple-occupation
- Licence conditions: https://www.scilly.gov.uk/community-safety/housing/private-sector-housing/houses-multiple-occupation/hmo-amenity-standards
- Confidence: Medium
- How we checked this: The council normally issues a draft licence for representations, then 'a full 5 year licence'. Apply with the council's application form and document checklist to environmentalhealth@scilly.gov.uk. A public register of HMOs licensed in the Council of the Isles of Scilly area is published. The council's amenity standards page says it is 'a collaborative Council with Cornwall Council' and uses Cornwall's guide to the mandatory standards.
- Sources: https://www.scilly.gov.uk/community-safety/housing/private-sector-housing/houses-multiple-occupation, https://www.scilly.gov.uk/community-safety/housing/private-sector-housing/private-sector-housing-policy

## Article 4 for house shares

Not yet confirmed: whether Isles of Scilly has an Article 4 direction on house shares.

Council source: https://www.planning.data.gov.uk/entity.json?dataset=article-4-direction&organisation_entity=178

## Civil penalty policy

The council's policy sets how it decides the size of a fine. The version we found has not been updated for the Renters' Rights Act.

The council's Private Sector Housing Policy page links a Housing Enforcement Policy (final version 12 February 2018). The HMO page says the council 'can issue a Civil Penalty Notice up to £30,000 for offences relating to licensing and management of HMO's'. Annex B of the 2018 policy uses a four-level charging matrix: Level 1 £500 per minor HMO management breach; Level 2 £2,500 to £5,000; Level 3 £7,500 to £15,000 (including section 72 HMO licensing offences where tenants are not at imminent risk of serious harm); Level 4 £15,000 to £30,000 (including section 72 licensing offences where occupiers are at imminent risk of serious harm). No Renters' Rights Act update was found.

Policy: https://www.scilly.gov.uk/sites/default/files/document/business/PSH-EnfPolicy-2018-1_0.pdf

## Consultations

We found no consultations when we researched Isles of Scilly.

## Not yet confirmed

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

- No additional or selective licensing scheme, proposal or consultation was found on the council's HMO pages (which describe mandatory licensing only) or its sitemap. The council does not expressly state the absence; its committee papers were not searched.
- The HMO licence fee is not published; contact Environmental Health.
- No Renters' Rights Act update to the 2018 enforcement policy was found.
- Article 4: whether Isles of Scilly has an HMO (C3 to C4) Article 4 direction is not confirmed. Checked: planning.data.gov.uk (four directions, 1975 to 1998, none for HMOs); no council list of its Article 4 directions was read. 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. Isles of Scilly 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: https://lettance.com/register

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