# Licensing in South Holland

> South Holland has no selective or additional licensing scheme in force.

- Checked 26 Oct 2026 (researched_at 2026-10-26, verified_at 2026-10-26)
- Region: East Midlands
- ONS code: E07000140
- Web page: https://lettance.com/councils/south-holland
- API: https://lettance.com/api/v1/councils/south-holland

## Licensing schemes

### Mandatory HMO licence: Mandatory HMO licensing (national scheme, South Holland fees)

- Status: In force (`in_force`)
- Area: Whole of South Holland District (national scheme).
- Fee: Not yet confirmed. South & East Lincolnshire Councils Partnership (SELCP) Housing Standards Enforcement Policy, Appendix A Fees and Charges 2026-2027 (adopted across Boston, East Lindsey and South Holland): new licence '£300.00 for initial application and processing' plus '£150.00 for each unit of accommodation'; renewal the same. For example, a five-unit HMO would be £1,050. The council collects a Part A fee before processing and a Part B fee after a successful inspection. standard_gbp is null because the fee depends on the number of units.
- Licence length: 5 years
- Who needs one: HMOs occupied by five or more people living in two or more separate households that meet the standard, self-contained flat or converted building test (section 254).
- Apply: https://www.sholland.gov.uk/media/28918/SELCP-HMO-Licence-Application-Form/pdf/SELCP_HMO_Licence_App_V1_0426.pdf?m=1784284185063
- Licence conditions: https://www.sholland.gov.uk/media/28808/Appendix-B-HMO-Licensing-Policy-Licence-Conditions/pdf/Appendix_B_HMO_Licensing_Policy_-_Licence_conditions_1sginhgfadoq2.pdf?m=1774345817830
- Confidence: High
- How we checked this: 'Each licence will be issued for a maximum of 5 years and no licence will be issued until the appropriate sum has been paid.' The SELCP HMO Licensing Policy, licence conditions, amenity standards and an application form are published on the HMO page. The site blocks automated requests; pages were read in a browser.
- Sources: https://www.sholland.gov.uk/HMOs, https://www.sholland.gov.uk/media/28812/Appendix-A-Enforcement-Policy-Fees-and-Charges/pdf/Appendix_A_Enforcement_Policy_-_Fees_and_Charges.pdf?m=1780479561717, https://www.sholland.gov.uk/media/28807/SELCP-Housing-Standards-HMO-Licensing-Policy/pdf/SELCP_Housing_Standards_HMO_Licensing_Policy_9359j2tq3ks3.pdf?m=1774416818013

## Article 4 for house shares

Not yet confirmed: whether South Holland has an Article 4 direction on house shares.

## 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.

SELCP Housing Standards Enforcement Policy with Appendix B Financial (civil) penalties, shared with Boston and East Lindsey. The council's Formal Enforcement page states the penalty 'must not exceed £40,000' (Renters' Rights Act maximum), with SELCP starting levels from £2,500 to £27,500 by seriousness. South Holland Cabinet adopted the SELCP housing standards policies (Empty Homes, HMO Licensing and Enforcement) on 20 January 2026 (item 87), after the Policy Development Panel on 25 November 2025.

Policy: https://www.sholland.gov.uk/media/28813/Appendix-B-Enforcement-Policy-Financial-civil-penalties/pdf/Appendix_B_Enforcement_Policy_-_Financial_civil_penalties.pdf?m=1772571334800

## Consultations

We found no consultations when we researched South Holland.

## Not yet confirmed

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

- No selective or additional licensing scheme found. Checked: the council's HMO and Housing Standards pages and the site search for 'selective licensing' (licensing results only). The SELCP Private Sector Housing Strategy (2025) said selective licensing was being considered across the partnership; no South Holland proposal was found. Committee papers not searched.
- Confirm the exact fee for a given HMO with the Housing Standards team (per-unit charge).
- Article 4: whether South Holland has an HMO (C3 to C4) Article 4 direction is not confirmed. Checked: a council site search for 'article 4' (conservation-area and permitted-development pages 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. South Holland is in East Midlands, where registration is planned from 15 February 2027 to 14 May 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/south-holland (catalogue edition 31 October 2026). This is information, not legal advice. Check the linked sources, and the council's own pages, before you act.