Portsmouth City Council vs Southampton City Council — Landlord Licensing Compared

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

Hampshire's two largest unitary authorities.

Portsmouth City Council (South East)

• Selective licensing: No scheme confirmed. Not yet independently verified — check the council page.
• Additional HMO licensing: Status not yet verified. Not yet independently verified — check the council page.
• Council licensing page: https://www.portsmouth.gov.uk/services/housing/landlords/houses-in-multiple-occupation/
• Council HMO page: https://www.portsmouth.gov.uk/services/housing/landlords/houses-in-multiple-occupation/hmo-mandatory-licensing-fees/
• Full reference page: https://letsentry.co.uk/council/portsmouth

Southampton City Council (South East)

• Selective licensing: No scheme confirmed. Not yet independently verified — check the council page.
• Additional HMO licensing: Status not yet verified. Not yet independently verified — check the council page.
• Council licensing page: https://www.southampton.gov.uk/housing/landlords/houses-in-multiple-occupation-hmo/licences/
• Council HMO page: https://www.southampton.gov.uk/housing/landlords/houses-in-multiple-occupation-hmo/licence-fees/
• Full reference page: https://letsentry.co.uk/council/southampton

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: 2026-06-28. Reference data only — always check each council's own page before applying.