Selective Licensing Is Expanding in Brighton and Hove

More landlords in Brighton and Hove will soon need a licence to continue legally renting out their properties.

From 20 October 2026, Brighton & Hove City Council’s selective licensing scheme will expand to cover properties in the Central Hove and Regency wards. This is in addition to the existing scheme covering Kemptown, Moulsecoomb and Bevendean, Queen’s Park, and Whitehawk and Marina.

If you own a rental property in one of the affected areas, now is the time to check whether the new rules apply to you.

What is selective licensing?

Selective licensing requires certain privately rented properties to hold a licence from the local council.

Unlike HMO licensing, it does not only apply to larger shared houses. In the current Brighton and Hove scheme, it can include properties rented to:

One or two people
A single family
Three or four unrelated people living in a single-storey flat or bungalow, where the property is not already covered by HMO licensing
The scheme is intended to improve property conditions and management standards across the private rented sector.

Which new areas are affected?

The latest expansion covers:

Central Hove
Regency

Landlords should not rely on the property’s postal address or their own understanding of the neighbourhood. Ward boundaries do not always follow the areas people commonly refer to as Central Hove or Regency.

The safest approach is to check the council’s official map or contact your managing agent to confirm whether the property falls within the designation.

How much does a licence cost?

The council currently lists the standard selective licence fee as £740. A higher fee of £840 can apply to late applications, although discounts and exemptions may be available in some circumstances.

The cost of the licence is only one consideration. Landlords may also need to complete work or provide documentation before the council is satisfied that the property meets the required standards.

Applying early gives you more time to identify any issues without the added pressure of an approaching deadline.

What will the council look at?

As part of the application, the proposed licence holder and property manager may need to demonstrate that they are a fit and proper person.

The property will also need to meet the relevant licence conditions. These may cover areas such as:

Property safety and maintenance
Smoke and carbon monoxide alarms
Gas and electrical safety
Tenancy and management arrangements
Waste storage and disposal
Responding to repairs and tenant concerns
Keeping appropriate records
The exact requirements will depend on the property and the conditions attached to the licence.

Do not assume an HMO licence covers everything

Selective, additional and mandatory HMO licensing are separate schemes.

Whether a property requires a licence will depend on its location, layout, number of occupiers and how those occupiers are related to one another.

Some shared properties will already fall under Brighton and Hove’s HMO licensing arrangements and may not also require a selective licence. However, landlords should not assume this without checking.

Properties can also move between licensing requirements when the type or number of occupants changes.

What should landlords do now?

Landlords with properties in or around Central Hove and Regency should:

Check the official ward boundary.
Confirm which licensing scheme applies.
Review existing gas, electrical and fire safety documentation.
Check the property against the proposed licence conditions.
Gather ownership and management information.
Identify any maintenance work that may be needed.
Prepare to apply from 20 October 2026.
Leaving the application until the last minute increases the risk of missing information, delayed applications and potentially paying the higher late fee.

Read the full notice here

Planning ahead

Selective licensing adds another responsibility for Brighton and Hove landlords, but early preparation should make the process far more manageable.

The most important step is to establish whether your property is affected. From there, you can review its condition, organise the necessary documents and deal with any outstanding work before submitting the application.

If Coapt manages your property, we can help you establish whether it falls within one of the licensing areas and guide you through the next steps.