Licensing

Hastings has a large private rented sector. In order to make sure that good standards of management and maintenance are maintained in these properties, Hastings has a licensing scheme. This means that a landlord that rents out property(s) in certain areas in Hastings must apply for a licence.

There are two types of licence.

The two types of licence are:

• Houses in multi occupation (HMO). 
• Selective licensing. 

If the landlord does not apply for a licence when the property should be licensed then they may be liable for prosecution or a civil penalty.

As a tenant, it is very important to know whether a landlord should have licensed the property you are renting. As well as maintaining certain standards, there are restrictions on a landlord being able to evict you from the property. 

A tenant occupying an assured shorthold tenancy cannot be evicted by a Section 21 notice if the landlord has not applied for a licence on the property when they should have.

To check whether a property has a licence, go to our 'I want to view a public register' page