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Licensing in Winchester

Winchester has no selective or additional licensing scheme in force.

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Check an address in Winchester

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
Yes
Consultation
None open

Licensing schemes

  • Mandatory HMO licence

    In force

    Mandatory HMO licensing (national scheme, Winchester fees)

    Area

    Whole Winchester City Council district (national scheme).

    Fee

    Published standard fee: £1,247

    HMO page (last updated 22 October 2026): 'HMO Licensing Fee - £1201 (£1247 as of 1st April 2026)'; 'Re-Licensing Fee - £947 (£983 as of 1st April 2026)'. New fee split: administration £528 (non-refundable if no licence granted) plus management element £719 payable once a licence is granted (pre-April 2026: £511 + £690). Renewal split: administration £264 plus management £719 (pre-April 2026: £257 + £690).

    Who needs one
    'all multi-occupied dwellings with 5 or more occupants living as more than one household' (from 1 October 2018).
    Apply on the council’s website
    How we checked this

    The fee covers management of the scheme 'over the 5 years of the licence'. Renewals use the separate 'Renewal Application' online form linked from the council HMO page. The council publishes an HMO public register (22 October 2026) and the Hampshire space and amenity standards. The HMO page, renters' rights page and private housing pages do not mention any additional or selective licensing scheme. The council also runs a Winchester shared housing accreditation scheme.

    Sources

Article 4 for house shares

Winchester has an Article 4 direction on HMOs (houses in multiple occupation, or shared houses). Turning a family home into a shared house may need planning permission.

Area
Three area-specific Article 4(1) directions in Winchester city removing the C3 to C4 permitted development right; not district-wide. Stanmore: made 16 April 2015, in force 2 May 2016. Winnall: in force 1 May 2018. Chalk Ridge: in force 19 December 2022. Each applies within the area on its direction map (council Article 4 pages). C4 to C3 remains permitted.
Takes effect
2 May 2016

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.

'Private Sector Housing Civil Penalties Policy 2026-2029' (Strategic Housing), linked from the council's renters' rights page (updated 29 July 2026). It covers the Renters' Rights Act 2025, Housing Act 2004, Housing and Planning Act 2016 and Protection from Eviction Act 1977 with £7,000 and £40,000 maxima and a starting-point matrix with landlord-type adjustments. Failure to obtain an HMO licence (s.72(1)) starts at £17,000 (£13,600 / £17,000 / £20,400). 15% discount for full payment within the final-notice period. Adoption date not stated. The enforcement policy page still lists the 2018 Statements of Principles for civil offences.

Winchester's civil penalty policy

Consultations

We found no consultations when we researched Winchester.

Not yet confirmed

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

  • Not yet confirmed

    Obtain the Stanmore, Winnall and Chalk Ridge direction maps (Chalk Ridge map: https://www.winchester.gov.uk/assets/attach/34449/Chalk-Ridge-A4L.pdf) so addresses can be matched; the confirmed Winnall direction PDF could not be text-extracted.

  • Not yet confirmed

    Making and confirmation dates for the Winnall and Chalk Ridge directions, and the Stanmore confirmation date, were not re-verified from the direction notices (the council pages give in-force dates only, plus the Stanmore making date).

  • Not yet confirmed

    No selective or additional licensing scheme, proposal or consultation was found on the council's housing pages; absence is inferred, not stated.

  • Not yet confirmed

    Confirm the adoption date of the 2026-2029 civil penalties policy.

Landlord register

The national landlord register is separate from licensing. Winchester 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