# Licensing in Vale of White Horse > Vale of White Horse 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: E07000180 - Web page: https://lettance.com/councils/vale-of-white-horse - API: https://lettance.com/api/v1/councils/vale-of-white-horse ## Licensing schemes ### Mandatory HMO licence: Mandatory HMO licensing (national scheme, Vale of White Horse fees) - Status: In force (`in_force`) - Area: The whole of Vale of White Horse district (national scheme). - Fee: Published standard fee: £1,034. Council page fee table (no page date shown), by bedrooms, Part one application fee + Part two issue fee = total: up to 5 bedrooms £620 + £414 = £1,034; 6 £644 + £429 = £1,073; 7 £667 + £445 = £1,112; 8 £691 + £460 = £1,151; 9 £714 + £476 = £1,190; 10 £737 + £492 = £1,229. 'All fees are set locally by the council, reviewed annually and cover the five year licence period.' Additional HMO advice visits £196. The joint enforcement policy says a renewal application made before expiry by the same licence holder gets a reduced fee; no renewal amount is shown on the page. - Licence length: 5 years - Who needs one: HMOs occupied by five or more people forming two or more households, which are not purpose-built self-contained flats in a block of three or more self-contained flats. The council page says the HMO needs a licence if it 'is occupied by five or more people' who 'form two or more households'. - Exemptions: Purpose-built self-contained flats in a block of three or more self-contained flats; statutory Schedule 14 exemptions. - Apply: https://eform.whitehorsedc.gov.uk/ebase/HMO_LICENSING.eb?SOVA_TAG=VALE - Licence conditions: https://www.southandvale.gov.uk/app/uploads/sites/2/2024/09/South-Vale-HMO-Standards_Apr-24.pdf - Confidence: High - How we checked this: South Oxfordshire and Vale of White Horse share a housing service and publish identical HMO pages and fees. The page states: 'The council does not currently operating any additional or selective HMO licensing schemes.' Application by online form; supporting documents list, declaration and guidance notes are linked. Public register: https://register-production.civicacx.co.uk/southandvale . The linked HMO standards PDF (April 2024) sets amenity and space standards; no separate licence conditions document is linked. - Sources: https://www.whitehorsedc.gov.uk/vale-of-white-horse-district-council/licensing/mandatory-licensing-houses-in-multiple-occupation/, https://www.southandvale.gov.uk/app/uploads/sites/3/2024/09/South-Vale-Housing-Enforcement-Policy-Final_Apr-24.pdf ## Article 4 for house shares We found no Article 4 direction on house shares in Vale of White Horse. Council source: https://www.whitehorsedc.gov.uk/vale-of-white-horse-district-council/planning-and-development/building-conservation-and-design/conservation-areas/article-4-directions ## Civil penalty policy The council's policy sets how it decides the size of a fine. The version we found has not been updated for the Renters' Rights Act. The joint South Oxfordshire and Vale of White Horse 'Housing Enforcement Policy' (cover dated January 2024; file named Final_Apr-24) has Part Two 'Civil Penalties and other Penalty Charges'. It lists offences in relation to licensing of HMOs (section 72) and of houses under Part 3 (section 95) with a maximum of £30,000. Penalties are set by scoring severity, culpability, track record and harm; the combined score maps to five bands: Band 1 (score 4-5) up to £5,999, average starting point £3,000; Band 2 (6-7) £6,000-£11,999, £9,000; Band 3 (8) £12,000-£17,999, £15,000; Band 4 (9-10) £18,000-£23,999, £21,000; Band 5 (11-12) £24,000-£30,000, £27,000. A property 'fully compliant with management regulations/licensing standards but no licence in place' scores 1 (low) on the relevant factor. No version updated for the Renters' Rights Act 2025 (£40,000 / £7,000 levels) was found. Policy: https://www.southandvale.gov.uk/app/uploads/sites/3/2024/09/South-Vale-Housing-Enforcement-Policy-Final_Apr-24.pdf ## Consultations We found no consultations when we researched Vale of White Horse. ## Not yet confirmed We could not settle these points when we researched Vale of White Horse 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. The council's HMO page states that no additional or selective scheme is operating ('The council does not currently operating any additional or selective HMO licensing schemes'); committee-document searches (democratic.whitehorsedc.gov.uk) for "selective licensing" return no housing items, and "multiple occupation" returns no licensing proposal. - No civil penalty policy updated for the Renters' Rights Act 2025 was found; the January/April 2024 joint enforcement policy still uses the £30,000 maximum, and committee-document and web searches found no 2025-2026 revision. Confirm whether a revised policy has been adopted. - The HMO page shows no 'last updated' date; confirm the fee table is the current year's. ## Landlord register The national landlord register is separate from licensing. Vale of White Horse 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/vale-of-white-horse (catalogue edition 31 October 2026). This is information, not legal advice. Check the linked sources, and the council's own pages, before you act.