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Council licensing in South East

Licensing in Reading

Reading has additional HMO licensing across the whole council area. A selective scheme in 1 ward is approved.

Checked 15 Oct 2026

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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.

  • Additional HMO licensing area16

Additional HMO licensing also covers the whole council area.

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

Selective licensing
None
Additional HMO licensing
Yes, whole council area
Article 4 on house shares
Yes
Consultation
Awaiting decision

Licensing schemes

  • Additional HMO licence

    In force

    Reading Borough Council Additional Licensing for Housing in Multiple Occupation Designation 2025

    Area

    Entire district of Reading Borough Council. No ward restriction.

    Runs
    1 March 2026 to 27 February 2031
    Fee

    Published standard fee: £1,500

    Council FAQ and council-linked delivery partner: £1,500, Part A £750 with application plus Part B £750 on draft licence. £250 late surcharge to Part A where more than 12 weeks late, bringing Part A to £1,000. Council May 2026 launch requested applications by 31 May. Current Rent Guarantee Scheme discount amount/eligibility not recovered; no discount inferred from 2024 approval.

    Who needs one
    HMOs occupied by three or more persons comprising two or more households, irrespective of storeys, including qualifying self-contained flats and converted buildings under section 254 or an HMO declaration, where not already subject to mandatory licensing. Not confined to three or four occupants.
    Exemptions
    Schedule 14 exclusions; mandatory-licensed HMOs; temporary exemption notices; interim/final management orders. Section 257 converted blocks as a whole are excluded, but individual flats or parts are included when the designation tests apply.
    Apply on the council’s websiteLicence conditionsCouncil's map or designation
    How we checked this

    Designation made 13 November 2025 and signed 17 November. It states that it shall cease to have effect on 28 February 2031, so the last day recorded here is 27 February. The council-linked provider instead describes the scheme as remaining in force until 28 February. Obtain council clarification before relying on the expiry date. Current licence conditions are published by the council-linked delivery partner. Statutory and property exemptions still apply. No predecessor additional scheme or scheme ending in the last 12 months was established by current council and committee sources.

    Sources

  • Mandatory HMO licence

    In force

    Mandatory HMO licensing

    Area

    Whole Reading Borough Council district; planning Article 4 areas are separate.

    Fee

    Published standard fee: £1,500

    Current application guidance updated 13 July 2026: new and renewal £1,500 up to five letting rooms/units, Part A £1,125 plus Part B £375. Add £28 per extra letting room/unit. More than 12 weeks late: £1,750 (£1,375 + £375). Incomplete application £50; missed inspection £52. No current early-bird tariff confirmed.

    Who needs one
    HMOs with five or more people forming two or more households sharing basic facilities, regardless of storeys; subject to statutory exclusions.
    Apply on the council’s websiteLicence conditions
    How we checked this

    Current council guidance and application requirements fetched. Gas, electrical and applicable fire-safety documents, plans and management information required. Licences may be shorter than five years with reasons provided. Non-transferable; a new owner must apply. Mandatory and additional fees have different payment-stage splits. No mandatory scheme expiry inferred.

    Sources

  • Selective licence

    Approved, not startedMedium confidence

    Battle selective licensing first phase — approved plan, formal designation not yet made

    Area

    Battle ward only in the approved first-phase plan. Park and Redlands decisions deferred, not approved designations.

    1 ward named in the scheme:

    • Battle

    Ward boundaries: 2022 wards (current Battle ward; legal designation boundary not yet made)

    Fee

    Not yet confirmed

    Current FAQ says selective fee will be reviewed and published before commencement; no final fee confirmed.

    Who needs one
    Proposed licensing of privately rented properties on non-exempt tenancies in Battle, including single-household lets. Final legal applicability awaits a designation.
    Exemptions
    Proposed statutory selective licensing exemptions; mandatory/additional licensed HMOs would not require a second licence.
    How we checked this

    Actual Housing, Neighbourhoods and Leisure Committee minutes, 13 November 2024 item 13, approve phased selective implementation commencing with Battle and delegate designations. Discussion postpones Battle designation to 2027; this is not an exact start date or a made legal designation. Park/Redlands inclusion explicitly deferred to allow earlier phases to be evaluated. Current FAQ states no formal selective designation has yet been made and applications are not open. No five-year term or 2027 start day invented.

    Sources

Article 4 for house shares

Reading 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
Two partial HMO directions, not borough-wide. The council describes the east Reading direction as covering mapped parts of Park, Redlands and Katesgrove on historical ward boundaries, not whole current wards. It was made 16 May 2012, sealed confirmation is dated 8 October 2012, and the adopted March 2023 Residential Conversions SPD confirms it took effect 16 May 2013. Order: https://images.reading.gov.uk/2019/12/Article-4-Direction.pdf ; map: https://images.reading.gov.uk/2019/12/Map-Showing-Area-Of-Article-4-Direction.pdf . A separate direction covers mapped properties fronting Jesse Terrace, not whole Abbey ward. Made 7 January 2016, confirmed by Planning Applications Committee on 9 March 2016, and effective 1 February 2017. The April 2016 committee pack reproduces the confirming minutes: https://democracy.reading.gov.uk/Data/Planning%20Applications%20Committee/20160406/Agenda/160406allpapers.pdf . The published order has a blank confirmation page; the committee minutes and current guidance establish the direction. Jesse map: https://images.reading.gov.uk/2019/12/Jesse_Terrace_Article_4_Map.pdf . Both operative dates are confirmed in the adopted SPD: https://images.reading.gov.uk/2023/03/Residential-Conversions-SPD-Adopted-March-2023.pdf . Separate architectural, conservation and commercial-to-residential directions do not establish HMO coverage.
Takes effect
16 May 2013

Council source

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.

Current appendix, last updated 15 June 2026, sets out the Renters’ Rights Act £7,000 and £40,000 tiers. The unlicensed-HMO starting point is £17,000, adjusted to £13,600 or £20,400 by landlord type, with a 15% prompt-payment reduction. Policy Committee approved the enforcement policies on 13 April 2026, item 74, for implementation from 1 May 2026. Minutes: democracy.reading.gov.uk ; report: democracy.reading.gov.uk . Older £30,000 statements on other council and provider pages do not describe the updated policy. Transitional treatment depends on the date of the offence.

Reading's civil penalty policy

Consultations

Not yet confirmed

We could not settle these points when we researched Reading on 15 October 2026. Check them with the council before you rely on them.

  • Not yet confirmed

    Obtain actual Battle selective designation, exact current boundary, commencement, last day, final fee and conditions when made. 2027 is a planning expectation, not an operative date. Do not present Park or Redlands as approved schemes.

  • Not yet confirmed

    Confirm Reading additional designation expiry drafting: legal text ceases on 28 February 2031, while partner says remains in force until that date; schema currently uses previous day. Obtain authoritative clarification.

  • Not yet confirmed

    Confirm whether the 2024 approved Rent Guarantee Scheme fee discount remains available, and its current amount/eligibility. Current published fee is £1,500.

  • Not yet confirmed

    Apply HMO Article 4 sealed maps at property level. Historical named wards and Jesse Terrace frontage do not establish whole-current-ward coverage. Obtain completed sealed Jesse confirmation if required; committee/current landing establish existence.

  • Not yet confirmed

    Confirm any later delegated civil penalty amendment and offence-date transitional treatment; no later replacement recovered.

Landlord register

The national landlord register is separate from licensing. Reading 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