Council licensing report
No current local selective or additional HMO scheme is listed for Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole. Mandatory HMO licensing still applies to larger shared homes anywhere in England.
Status
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No current selective or additional HMO scheme is listed for Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole.
That does not remove the national mandatory HMO rules. A larger shared home with five or more occupiers and two or more households still needs a mandatory HMO licence anywhere in England.
The right licence depends on who lives in the property, how the household is structured, and where the property sits in the council area. These are the situations we see most often, with what Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole's current rules say about each.
One adult renting a self-contained flat or a studio with their own kitchen and bathroom.
No landlord licence is needed under current Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole rules. Mandatory HMO licensing does not apply because this is one household.
Two people from one household renting an entire house on one tenancy.
No landlord licence is needed under current Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole rules. Mandatory HMO licensing does not apply because this is one household.
Parents and dependent children from one household renting an entire house.
No landlord licence is needed under current Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole rules. Mandatory HMO licensing does not apply because this is one household.
Three friends or three unrelated tenants on a joint tenancy, sharing a kitchen and bathroom.
This is a small HMO under the section 254 definition, but it does not need a mandatory licence and Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole does not currently licence smaller HMOs. Standard HMO management rules and fire-safety duties still apply.
Four unrelated tenants sharing a kitchen and bathroom.
This is a small HMO under the section 254 definition, but it does not need a mandatory licence and Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole does not currently licence smaller HMOs. Standard HMO management rules and fire-safety duties still apply.
Five or more unrelated tenants sharing a kitchen and bathroom.
Needs a mandatory HMO licence anywhere in England. The five-or-more, two-or-more-households test is national, not council-specific.
Owner-occupier letting a room to one or two lodgers in their own home.
Letting to a lodger while you live in the property is exempt from HMO licensing in most cases. Selective licensing exemptions also normally cover owner-occupier lets.
Five students from at least two households sharing a converted house.
Needs a mandatory HMO licence anywhere in England. The five-or-more, two-or-more-households test is national, not council-specific.
A property licence does not transfer when a property changes hands. If you buy a let property that needs a licence under Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole's rules, the existing licence ends and you need to apply for a new one in your own name. The seller's solicitor should disclose any existing licence and any open enforcement notices.
Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole does not currently run a selective or additional HMO scheme, so a single-let purchase usually does not need a licence. A larger HMO purchase still needs a mandatory HMO licence application before tenants move in.
Owner-occupiers buying to live in the property do not need a licence. The rules only apply when a property is rented out.
Anything on this page that you cannot find an answer to, the council's licensing team can confirm in minutes.