# Licensing in Swale > Swale 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: E07000113 - Web page: https://lettance.com/councils/swale - API: https://lettance.com/api/v1/councils/swale ## Licensing schemes ### Mandatory HMO licence: Mandatory HMO licensing (national scheme, Swale fees) - Status: In force (`in_force`) - Area: The whole of Swale Borough (national scheme). - Fee: Published standard fee: £896. The council's HMO introduction page says 'You'll need to pay £896 for a HMO licence or £761 if you're an accredited landlord.' The Renew chapter says 'You'll need to pay £701 to renew a House in Multiple Occupation (HMO) licence. If you're an accredited landlord, the fee is reduced to £597', with renewals made through GOV.UK. A separate licence is needed for each property. No page date or fee year is shown. - Licence length: 5 years - Who needs one: HMOs occupied by five or more people forming two or more households who share basic amenities. The council's page says you need a licence if the property is 'not self-contained', 'occupied by five or more people, including children, who aren't related, married, in a civil partnership or living together as if they're married' and 'the occupants share things like a kitchen or bathroom between them'. - Apply: https://swale.gov.uk/business-licensing-and-procurement/licences-permits-and-consents/houses-in-multiple-occupation/apply-and-pay - Confidence: High - How we checked this: National scheme. The page says 'A HMO licence lasts for five years.' The site has apply, renew, change and appeal chapters and links a list of registered HMOs on its transparency page and 'A guide to Houses in Multiple Occupancy and Mandatory Licensing' (PDF). The council's site was showing a banner that some reporting, paying and applying systems may be unavailable when checked on 26 October 2026. - Sources: https://swale.gov.uk/business-licensing-and-procurement/licences-permits-and-consents/houses-in-multiple-occupation/introduction, https://swale.gov.uk/your-council/publications/licensing/a-guide-to-houses-in-multiple-occupancy-and-mandatory-licensing, https://swale.gov.uk/business-licensing-and-procurement/licences-permits-and-consents/houses-in-multiple-occupation/renew ## Article 4 for house shares Not yet confirmed: whether Swale has an Article 4 direction on house shares. Council source: https://www.planning.data.gov.uk/entity/?dataset=article-4-direction-area&geometry_curie=statistical-geography:E07000113 ## 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 Housing, Health and Communities Committee on 25 March 2026 (item 848, https://democracy.swale.gov.uk/ieListDocuments.aspx?CId=405&MId=4343) resolved 'That the revised Civil Penalties Policy be adopted', alongside a revised Private Sector Housing Enforcement Policy; the report says both bring the council 'into full alignment with the Renters' Rights Act 2025 and the ACEHO national enforcement model'. The papers include the ACEHO model version 'for use where there are NO SELECTIVE LICENSING AREAS'. The Swale policy (Appendix 2, labelled draft in the agenda) sets £7,000 and £40,000 maxima, starting points with 20% landlord-type adjustments, and for failure to obtain an HMO licence (s.72(1)) a £17,000 starting point (£13,600 / £20,400 after landlord-type adjustment). A 15% discount applies for full payment within the final-notice period (normally 28 days). The adopted final version was not found published on the council's main website. Policy: https://democracy.swale.gov.uk/documents/s33314/Appendix%202-%20SBC%20Civil%20Financil%20Penalty%20Policy%20-%20Draft.pdf ## Consultations We found no consultations when we researched Swale. ## Not yet confirmed We could not settle these points when we researched Swale on 26 October 2026. Check them with the council before you rely on them. - No selective or additional licensing scheme, proposal or consultation was found on the council's HMO pages or by committee-document searches (democracy.swale.gov.uk) for "selective licensing" (no results); the March 2026 civil penalty papers use the ACEHO version for authorities with no selective licensing areas. The council does not publish an explicit statement of absence. - The adopted civil penalties policy is only available as the committee appendix marked draft; confirm the final adopted text and its effective date. - Confirm the fee year of the £896 / £761 new and £701 / £597 renewal charges; the pages show no date. - Absence of an HMO Article 4 direction is based on planning.data.gov.uk; the council's own Article 4 list was not retrieved. ## Landlord register The national landlord register is separate from licensing. Swale 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/swale (catalogue edition 31 October 2026). This is information, not legal advice. Check the linked sources, and the council's own pages, before you act.