Adur District Council vs Brighton and Hove City Council — Landlord Licensing Compared

Side-by-side comparison of selective and additional HMO licensing in Adur District Council and Brighton and Hove City Council. Reference data from each council's own pages and GOV.UK.

Adjacent Sussex coastal authorities.

Adur District Council (South East)

• Selective licensing: No scheme confirmed. Not yet independently verified — check the council page.
• Additional HMO licensing: No scheme confirmed. This council's HMO licensing pages describe mandatory HMO licensing only — a licence is required where a property is occupied by 5 or more people forming 2 or more households who share facilities such as a kitchen or bathroom. No additional HMO licensing scheme is described on those pages. Additional licensing can be introduced at any time, so check the council's own pages before relying on this.
• Council licensing page: https://www.adur-worthing.gov.uk/housing/conditions-and-empty-properties/hmo/
• Council HMO page: https://www.adur-worthing.gov.uk/environmental-health/fees-and-charges/
• Full reference page: https://letsentry.co.uk/council/adur

Brighton and Hove City Council (South East)

• Selective licensing: Designated areas only. Selective licensing scheme covering Kemptown, Moulsecoomb & Bevendean, Queens Park, and Whitehawk & Marina wards.
• Additional HMO licensing: City-wide scheme in force. Brighton and Hove states there are two HMO licensing schemes in the city. Additional HMO licensing applies to HMOs of 2 or more storeys with 3 or 4 unrelated occupiers and runs from 1 July 2024 to 30 June 2029, with a licence running from the date of application until the scheme's end. Mandatory licensing applies to HMOs occupied by 5 or more unrelated occupiers.
• Council licensing page: https://www.brighton-hove.gov.uk/housing/private-housing/private-landlords/selective-licensing
• Council HMO page: https://www.brighton-hove.gov.uk/housing/private-housing/private-landlords/houses-multiple-occupation/hmo-licence-fees-discounts-and-exemptions
• Full reference page: https://letsentry.co.uk/council/brighton-and-hove

Mandatory HMO licensing applies in both areas: any HMO occupied by 5 or more people forming 2 or more households needs a licence anywhere in England.

Sources: - legislation.gov.uk — Housing Act 2004 — https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2004/34/contents - GOV.UK — House in multiple occupation (HMO) licence — https://www.gov.uk/house-in-multiple-occupation-licence

Last verified: 2026-08-16. Reference data only — always check each council's own page before applying.