HMO Licensing in Brighton and Hove

Brighton is a premium HMO city with city-wide Article 4 and, from 2024, city-wide additional licensing for 3-4-sharer HMOs on top of mandatory licensing. You get London-level regulation without quite London rents.

Licensing stack in Brighton and Hove (2026)

Mandatory HMO licensing

As in England generally, you must have a mandatory HMO licence if:

• 5 or more occupiers,
• in 2+ households,
• sharing facilities.

Typical mandatory licence fee (previous scheme): about GBP 840-1,090 for a 5-year licence depending on occupancy, now under review alongside the new schemes.

Additional licensing: new city-wide scheme from 1 July 2024

Brighton's previous additional licensing scheme for 3-4-bed HMOs ended 28 February 2023.

Following consultation, Brighton and Hove City Council has re-introduced additional licensing, this time covering the entire city for certain small HMOs.

From 1 July 2024 to 30 June 2029, an additional licensing scheme applies to:

• All HMOs with 3 or 4 occupiers from 2 or more households,
• In properties of 2 or more storeys.

Additional licence fees for 3-4-person HMOs (2024-26):

Single tenancy, 3-4 occupants (2+ storeys):

• Standard initial fee: GBP 824.
• If accredited / EPC C or above / charity: GBP 749.
• Prompted fee (after chasing): GBP 927.

3-4 separate tenancies (rooms let individually):

• Standard initial fee: GBP 1,051.
• Accredited / EPC C or above / charity: GBP 976.
• Prompted fee: GBP 1,113.

So in 2026:

• If you have 3-4 sharers in a 2-storey+ HMO, you now need an additional licence city-wide.
• If you have 5+ sharers, you need a mandatory licence (and may still be captured by additional conditions).

Selective licensing

Brighton is actively consulting on selective licensing schemes in four areas:

• Kemptown,
• Moulsecoomb and Bevendean,
• Queens Park,
• Whitehawk and adjacent areas.

As at mid-2026, these selective schemes are either just being approved or about to launch for five years, adding licence requirements to single-lets in those zones.

You should treat selective licensing as incoming in those wards and check the council site before assuming a single-let is licence-free.

Article 4: city-wide planning control

Brighton and Hove had Article 4 for HMOs in several wards (Hanover and Elm Grove, Hollingdean and Stanmer, Moulsecoomb and Bevendean, Queens Park, St Peter's and North Laine).

In January 2020, the council approved a city-wide Article 4 Direction for HMOs, which came into force 3 June 2020.

Effect: Across virtually all of Brighton and Hove (excluding the South Downs National Park area), any change from C3 to C4 (a 3-6-person HMO) now needs planning permission. Landlords can no longer rely on permitted development for new small HMOs anywhere in the city.

So new HMO deals are now planning + licensing as standard: no PD shortcuts.

Fees and room size standards

Fees snapshot

Combining sources:

• Mandatory HMO licence (5+): historically ~GBP 840-1,090 for 5 years depending on occupancy; current fees subject to review.
• Additional HMO licence (3-4 sharers, 2+ storeys): GBP 824-927 (single tenancy) or GBP 1,051-1,113 (multiple tenancies) per licence, with small discounts for accredited/EPC-C stock.

Room sizes

Brighton and Hove's published standards are in line with national minimums:

• Single room (1 adult): minimum 6.5 sq m.
• Double room (2 adults): minimum 10.2 sq m.

This matches the statutory minimums (6.51 sq m, 10.22 sq m).

Brighton layers on:

• Requirements for adequate bathrooms (e.g. 1 bathroom plus 1 extra WC for 5+ occupiers).
• Kitchen storage, cooking and washing facilities sized to occupancy.

Undersized rooms will not be permitted as bedrooms in licences.

Student HMO market and key areas

Universities

University of Sussex and University of Brighton generate heavy student demand along the Lewes Road corridor and in hilltop estates.

Core HMO belts

Lewes Road corridor (Elm Grove, Coombe Road, up to Moulsecoomb/Coldean): Classic Sussex/Brighton student belt; many 4-6-bed HMOs, almost all now under Article 4 and additional licensing.

Hanover and Elm Grove: Dense terraces, popular with students and young professionals; historically HMO hotspots under earlier Article 4.

Moulsecoomb / Bevendean / Coldean: Close to campuses, strong HMO presence; in Article 4, current/pending selective licensing discussions in Moulsecoomb and Bevendean.

Typical room rents

Brighton is consistently quoted as having some of the highest HMO room rents outside London due to constrained supply and high demand.

Market examples show standard student rooms in Lewes Road / Hanover / Moulsecoomb HMOs frequently at GBP 650-800 per month including bills; premium rooms go higher.

So for your modelling:

• Assume GBP 650-750/month per room as mainstream and GBP 800+/month for better spec and top locations.

Planning applications for new HMOs

Given city-wide Article 4:

Any new small HMO (3-6 sharers) must apply for planning permission for C3 to C4, with:

• Supporting evidence on HMO concentration levels.
• Compliance with local HMO SPG on mix, amenity and management.

Larger HMOs (7+ sharers, sui generis) always need full planning permission.

Combined with city-wide additional licensing, that makes Brighton one of the hardest cities in England to create new HMOs from family stock, similar to Bristol's position.

Enforcement: Brighton's stance

Brighton is explicit that these schemes are for raising standards and controlling HMO numbers, not just collecting fees.

The previous 5-year additional scheme improved conditions in 1,900 HMOs, benefiting 5,500 tenants; the new scheme aims to extend this to about 2,200 properties.

Council and local agents warn:

• Applications must be made within 30 days of the new additional scheme starting or you risk potential civil penalties and legal action.
• Fines up to GBP 30,000 for operating a licensable HMO without a licence.

Between:

• City-wide Article 4,
• City-wide additional licensing (for 3-4-person HMOs in 2+-storey houses), and
• Incoming selective schemes in multiple wards,

Brighton is firmly in the same enforcement tier as Bristol and Nottingham.

What forums get wrong about Brighton HMOs

Myth 1: "Additional licensing ended, so 3-4-bed HMOs are licence-free now."

Reality: The old scheme ended in Feb 2023, but from 1 July 2024 a new city-wide additional licensing scheme runs to 30 June 2029 for 3-4-occupier HMOs in 2+-storey properties.

Myth 2: "Article 4 is just around Lewes Road and Hanover."

Reality: Since 3 June 2020 an HMO Article 4 Direction applies city-wide (outside the South Downs NP). Any new 3-6 bed HMO anywhere in Brighton and Hove needs planning permission.

Myth 3: "If I have an HMO licence, I can flip to Airbnb in summer."

Reality: HMO licensing, planning use (C4/sui generis) and short-term let rules are separate. In a city-wide Article 4 area, using a dwelling for short-lets can need planning on top of HMO licensing. You cannot assume you can switch use without consent.

Myth 4: "Brighton yields are poor so compliance doesn't matter, it's all priced in."

Reality: Room rents are high, but so are fees (GBP 824-1,051+ for small additional licences, plus mandatory fees), plus expensive fire and amenity upgrades. Deals still work, but only if you explicitly model:

• Licence fees every 5 years.
• Article 4 planning risk and costs.
• Potential selective licensing on single-lets in Kemptown / Moulsecoomb and Bevendean / Queens Park / Whitehawk.

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