How to Renew Your HMO Licence in Portsmouth

A Portsmouth HMO licence lasts one, two-and-a-half or five years depending on which tier you qualified for. When it expires, the licence does not auto-renew — you must submit a fresh application through the Metastreet portal, and the council treats the renewal process almost identically to a new application. Getting the timing right is the difference between lower renewal fees and being charged as a brand-new applicant.

When to Apply

Submit the renewal at least 14 days before your current licence expires. This matters for two reasons.

First, applying 14 or more days before expiry is one of the criteria for the 5-year tier. Submit later and the maximum term you can qualify for drops to 2.5 years, even if everything else is in order.

Second, if your current licence has already expired when the renewal reaches the council, they treat it as a new application at the higher fee schedule. The difference is £40–£140 depending on tier and scheme type.

Statutory Protection During Processing

A renewal application submitted before the existing licence expires gives you continuous statutory protection under Section 72(4) of the Housing Act 2004 while the council processes it. This means you can lawfully continue operating the property even if the council's review runs past your expiry date. That protection only holds if the application is "duly made" — the Metastreet form is complete, the Part 1 fee is paid, and all documents have been emailed to [email protected].

What the Council Expects

Renewals require a complete re-submission. Portsmouth does not carry over documents from your previous licence. You will need current versions of every mandatory certificate: gas safety, EICR, fire risk assessment, fire alarm servicing, PAT records and a metric floor plan. If any room layout has changed since the last application, the floor plan must be updated.

The Metastreet portal may pre-populate some fields from your existing record, but check every value. Migrated data sometimes carries stale occupancy numbers or outdated certificate dates.

Keeping the 5-Year Tier

The 5-year licence has the lowest annual cost and requires: no justified complaints in the past 12 months, current accreditation from a body on Portsmouth's approved list, a valid EPC rated Band E or above, all safety certificates current and satisfactory, and the renewal submitted at least 14 days before expiry. Missing a 5-year-tier criterion can mean a 2.5-year term; a fit-and-proper concern, missing FRA, or missing or expired safety certificate can trigger a 1-year term.

Our Portsmouth Landlord Licensing Guide includes a renewal timeline and safety certificate expiry calendar so you can track deadlines and submit on time.

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