# Licensing in Rother > Rother 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: E07000064 - Web page: https://lettance.com/councils/rother - API: https://lettance.com/api/v1/councils/rother ## Licensing schemes ### Mandatory HMO licence: Mandatory HMO licensing (national scheme, Rother fees) - Status: In force (`in_force`) - Area: The whole of Rother District (national scheme). - Fee: Published standard fee: £1,163. The council page gives an initial application fee of £1,122 plus £60 to issue the licence, £1,163 if both are paid together; renewal £792 plus £60 to issue, £830 if paid together. An extra £415 is added to the initial application where an unlicensed property is found during inspection. No fee year or page date is shown. - Licence length: 5 years - Who needs one: HMOs occupied by five or more people forming two or more households who share one or more basic amenity. The council page lists those criteria and notes some exempt types, such as where the landlord and their household live with up to two tenants. - Exemptions: Statutory exemptions, e.g. a landlord and their household living with up to two tenants. - Confidence: High - How we checked this: National scheme. 'A licence can last for a maximum of five years', with shorter periods possible. The page says the 'online HMO application form is currently unavailable'; request a form from private.sectorhousing@rother.gov.uk. The council aims to issue or reject within 12 weeks and provides a copy of its public register on request to Private.SectorHousing@rother.gov.uk. The page states: 'Rother District Council does not currently operate either an additional or selective licensing scheme.' - Sources: https://www.rother.gov.uk/environmental-health/private-rented-housing/houses-in-multiple-occupation-hmos-and-mandatory-licensing/ ## Article 4 for house shares Rother has an Article 4 direction on HMOs (shared houses). Turning a family home into a shared house may need planning permission. - Area: Specific area of Bexhill-on-Sea: 'Rother District Council (Houses in Multiple Occupation, Bexhill, East Sussex) Article 4 Direction 2011' (A4D68), covering land edged red on the direction map. The council's Article 4 page describes it as applying 'in Bexhill town centre where there is a prohibition on converting dwellings to houses in multiple occupation'. The notice says it relates to change of use from Class C3 dwellinghouses to Class C4 HMOs and removes those permitted development rights; the council's dataset records the right as 3L with no end date. Use the council's Article 4 interactive map to check an address. Council source: https://www.rother.gov.uk/planning-and-building-control/do-i-need-planning-permission/planning-information/article-4-directions/ ## 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 council's Civil Penalties Policy page is titled 'Civil penalties under the Renters' Rights Act 2025 and other housing legislation' (ACEHO model wording). It lists £7,000 breaches and £40,000 breaches and offences, uses statutory starting points with landlord-type adjustments, and gives failure to obtain an HMO licence (s.72(1)) a £17,000 starting point (£13,600 / £20,400 after landlord-type adjustment), maximum £40,000. A 15% discount applies for full payment within the final-notice period (normally 28 days). The page shows no adoption date. The council's 'Cabinet Decisions – 13 April 2026' news item records Cabinet agreeing 'to recommend to Council that the new policies be approved and adopted' (Private Sector Housing Enforcement Policy 2026 and Civil Penalties Policy 2026). The council also lists a Private Sector Housing Enforcement Policy 2026. Policy: https://www.rother.gov.uk/environmental-health/private-rented-housing/civil-penalties-policy/ ## Consultations We found no consultations when we researched Rother. ## Not yet confirmed We could not settle these points when we researched Rother on 26 October 2026. Check them with the council before you rely on them. - The 2011 HMO Article 4 notice says the direction was made on 28 January 2011 (notice dated 4 February 2011) and 'subject to confirmation by the Council the Direction shall come into force on 7 March 2012'. The council's Article 4 page describes the Bexhill town centre prohibition as current, but no confirmation document was found (committee-document search returns nothing for that period), and the council's dataset and planning.data.gov.uk give only the 4 February 2011 notice date; effective_date is left null. Confirm the confirmation and the 7 March 2012 commencement. - The HMO page shows no fee year; confirm the fees are current for 2026/27. - Confirm the date full Council adopted the Civil Penalties Policy 2026 (Cabinet recommended adoption on 13 April 2026). ## Landlord register The national landlord register is separate from licensing. Rother 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 --- From Lettance: https://lettance.com/councils/rother (catalogue edition 31 October 2026). This is information, not legal advice. Check the linked sources, and the council's own pages, before you act.