Landlord licence Dorset: what landlords in Weymouth, Dorchester and Bridport need

Landlord licence Dorset at a glance

Sources: Dorset Council pages listed under Sources, checked 21 October 2026.

How big is the private rented sector in Dorset?

At the 2021 Census, 27,612 of Dorset's 169,261 households rented privately. That's 16.3% of households, below the 20.3% average across England and Wales. By number of privately renting households, Dorset ranked 45 of the 331 local authorities in England and Wales; by share it ranked 208. For comparison, 119,154 households (70.4%) owned their home and 20,836 (12.3%) rented socially.

Is there selective licensing in Dorset?

No. Dorset Council's licensing pages cover mandatory HMO licensing only. Single-household lets and 3 or 4 person shared houses don't need a council licence in Dorset, though shared houses are still HMOs and must meet the HMO management regulations.

Mandatory HMO licensing in Dorset

Unless an exemption applies, any property that meets the Housing Act 2004 definition of a licensable HMO, broadly 5 or more people from 2 or more households sharing facilities, must hold a valid licence. Applications go to Dorset Council and aren't complete until you've paid the fee. You must be a fit and proper person to hold the licence. The council will normally grant it if the house is, or can be made, suitable for multiple occupation, the applicant and any manager are fit and proper and the most appropriate people, and the management arrangements are satisfactory.

Licences aren't granted automatically. If you haven't heard within 28 days, contact the council. For now, applications use a Word form downloaded from the council's site; an online form is planned.

Appeals and redress in Dorset

If you disagree with a refusal, a condition, or a decision to vary or revoke a licence, contact Dorset Council first. You can also appeal to the First-tier Tribunal (Property Chamber), within 28 days of the decision.

Dorset landlord licence fees

From 1 April 2026, Dorset Council charges £900 for a first 5-year licence and £740 to renew for a further 5 years. Landlords committing to the standards required by the Council Landlord Forum or a recognised landlord association get 10% off: £810 for a new licence and £666 for a renewal.

Councils usually split a licence fee into two parts: one paid when you apply, covering processing, and one paid before the licence is granted, covering running and enforcing the scheme. Where the council publishes the split, we show it above. Fees are reviewed regularly, so treat these as correct on the date we checked and confirm on the council's fee page before you pay.

Do I need a landlord licence in Dorset? A quick check

1. Count the people and households living in the property.
2. If 5 or more people from 2 or more households share facilities, you need a mandatory HMO licence from Dorset Council.
3. If 3 or 4 sharers live there, no licence is needed, but HMO management rules apply.
4. If it's a single-household let, no property licence is needed.
5. In Bournemouth, Christchurch or Poole, check BCP Council's rules instead.

People also ask about landlord licensing in Dorset

Do I need a landlord licence in Weymouth? Only for an HMO with 5 or more people from 2 or more households. Dorset has no selective licensing.

How much is an HMO licence in Dorset? £900 for a new 5-year licence and £740 to renew, or £810 and £666 with the 10% discount.

Is Bournemouth covered by Dorset Council? No. Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole are covered by BCP Council.

What every Dorset landlord must do, licence or not

Licensing sits on top of the duties every landlord in England already has. Whether or not your Dorset property needs a licence, you still need to:

• have every gas appliance, flue and pipework checked by a Gas Safe registered engineer every 12 months, and give tenants a copy of the record;
• have the electrical installation inspected and tested at least every 5 years, and give tenants the report;
• hold a valid EPC rated E or above before you let, unless the property is exempt;
• protect any deposit in a government-approved scheme within 30 days and give the prescribed information;
• fit a smoke alarm on every storey used as living accommodation, and a carbon monoxide alarm in any room with a fixed combustion appliance (gas cookers excepted);
• carry out Right to Rent checks before a tenancy starts.

A council considering a licence application, or inspecting a licensed property, will usually ask to see evidence of the first four.

What happens if you let without the right licence in Dorset?

Letting a property that needs a licence without one is a criminal offence. Since 1 May 2026, councils can issue civil penalties of up to £40,000 per offence as an alternative to prosecution, and tenants can apply for a rent repayment order covering up to 24 months' rent; several councils, including Westminster, Brighton & Hove and Islington, now state these limits on their own pages. Prosecution can lead to an unlimited fine. The practical point: once a valid application is in, you're treated as having applied, so apply as soon as you know a licence is needed.

Keeping to your licence conditions

A licence normally lasts up to 5 years, and councils attach conditions to it: typically that you send an updated gas safety certificate when asked, keep smoke alarms working, provide electrical safety certificates, and deal with repairs properly. Keeping on top of those conditions is mostly a matter of records.

That's the part Gaffy helps with. Each property gets a vault where you store the gas safety certificate, EICR and EPC with their expiry dates, and Gaffy flags anything expired or expiring soon, so the certificate a licence condition asks for doesn't lapse. Tenants report repairs through a link in their phone's browser, with photos, which gives you a dated repair history if the council asks. Gaffy is £12 a month for up to 5 properties, plus £4 a month for each extra property, and the first month is free. We don't apply for licences on your behalf.