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Licensing in Torridge

Torridge has no selective or additional licensing scheme in force.

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Check an address in Torridge

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.

  • National rules only16

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

Selective licensing
None
Additional HMO licensing
No
Article 4 on house shares
Not yet confirmed
Consultation
None open

Licensing schemes

  • Mandatory HMO licence

    In force

    Mandatory HMO licensing (national scheme, Torridge fees)

    Area

    The whole of Torridge District (national scheme).

    Fee

    Published standard fee: £787

    Fees and Charges 2026/27 (columns 2025/26 and 2026/27), 'Houses in Multiple Occupation (HMO) Licence': Part A application fee (plus DBS fee) £446.00 (2025/26 £425.00); Part B grant fee (management and enforcement) £341.00 (£325.00); renewal £787.00 (£750.00). Variation: £84.00 with inspection, £37.00 without. standard_gbp is Part A plus Part B for a new licence (£446 + £341).

    Who needs one
    HMOs occupied by 5 or more persons living in two or more separate households who share an amenity such as a kitchen, toilet, bathroom or lounge, regardless of storeys (since 1 October 2018).
    Exemptions
    Statutory exemptions under Schedule 14 to the Housing Act 2004.
    Apply on the council’s websiteLicence conditions
    How we checked this

    The council's page says it 'usually issues mandatory HMO Licences for five year terms, but this may vary based on the details of the application.' Apply online through GOV.UK or by the downloadable form. HMO standards are in Appendix C of the Housing Enforcement Policy. A public register (1 October 2026) is published. The 'HMO Licensing Scope and Schemes' document linked from the page describes additional licensing only in general terms; no Torridge designation is mentioned.

    Sources

Article 4 for house shares

Not yet confirmed

Whether Torridge has an Article 4 direction on house shares.

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.

'Civil Penalty Policy: Civil penalties under the Renters' Rights Act 2025 and other housing legislation', issue 2 dated 1 October 2026, adopted with an updated Housing Enforcement Policy by the Community and Resources Committee (council news, September 2026). Starting point with a 'Landlord Type' adjustment of minus or plus 20%: failure to obtain an HMO licence (s.72(1)) starting point £17,000 (range £13,600 to £20,400), statutory maximum £40,000.

Torridge's civil penalty policy

Consultations

We found no consultations when we researched Torridge.

Not yet confirmed

We could not settle these points when we researched Torridge. Check them with the council before you rely on them.

  • Not yet confirmed

    No additional or selective licensing scheme, proposal or consultation was found on the council's HMO pages (which describe mandatory licensing only), its sitemap, or Torridge committee agendas from January to October 2026. The council does not expressly state the absence.

  • Not yet confirmed

    Most Torridge Article 4 documents are image scans; their titles name rural sites, villages and conservation areas, and the two text documents checked (Land South-West of Horns Cross; Higher Winsford, provisional 29 July 2026) remove householder and minor-operations rights only. No HMO (C3 to C4) direction was found.

Landlord register

The national landlord register is separate from licensing. Torridge 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