Portsmouth council to decide on HMO licence and park home fee increases
Licences for HMO landlords and pitch fees for park home residents could increase next week, subject to Portsmouth City Council approval.
A cabinet decision meeting on February 19 will determine whether to raise charges for landlords who require a licence to manage a house in multiple occupation (HMO).
HMO licences
Under the Housing Act, local authorities can license HMOs. Portsmouth City Council currently offers mandatory licences for properties housing five or more people and additional licences for those accommodating three or four.
A recent financial review has identified rising costs for processing applications, monitoring licence holders, inspecting properties, and identifying unlicensed landlords.
The proposed changes would see an 11 per cent fee increase for additional and mandatory licensing compared to 2023 rates. A typical additional licence will rise by £86 (£1.43 per month), while a mandatory licence for a five-bedroom HMO will increase by £121 (£2 per month) over a five-year term.
A council report states that these fee increases are “necessary” as both licensing schemes must operate “on a cost recovery basis".
Park home pitch fees
The same cabinet meeting will also decide whether to increase pitch fees for park homes in line with inflation.
Currently, the 67 plots at Henderson Park and 48 plots at Cliffdale Gardens are priced at £39.05 per week for a small plot, £44.14 for a large plot, and £44.13 for a double plot.
The proposed prices reflect a 2.5 per cent increase, in line with the latest Consumer Price Index rate.
If approved, a small plot will cost £40.02 per week, up by £0.97 (£50.44 per year). Large plots will rise to £45.23 per week, an increase of £1.10 (£57.20 per year), while double plots will be £50.26 per week, up by £1.22 (£63.44 per year).
According to the report, the revised fees would generate a total gross income of £267,700 per year.