Landlord licence Wiltshire: what landlords in Salisbury, Chippenham and Trowbridge need

Landlord licence Wiltshire at a glance

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

How big is the private rented sector in Wiltshire?

The 2021 Census counted 215,081 households in Wiltshire, and 37,422 of them (17.4%) rented from a private landlord or letting agent, or rented privately in another way. Across England and Wales the figure was 20.3%, so Wiltshire's private rented share is below the national average. Wiltshire had the 23rd largest number of private renting households of any of the 331 local authorities, and the 174th highest share. 143,767 households (66.8%) were owner-occupiers and 31,228 (14.5%) were social renters.

Is there selective licensing in Wiltshire?

No. Wiltshire Council's HMO pages describe mandatory licensing only. The council notes it could also license other types of HMO, but only if it can show other ways of tackling problems in those properties have been exhausted, and it hasn't designated any additional or selective area. For a single-household let anywhere in the council area, no property licence is needed.

Mandatory HMO licensing in Wiltshire

Since 1 October 2018, mandatory licensing has covered any property occupied by 5 or more people making up 2 or more households who share a kitchen or bathroom, regardless of the number of storeys. It also covers purpose-built flats in blocks of up to 2 flats where one or both flats house 5 or more people from 2 or more households. National minimum room sizes for letting rooms apply to licensed HMOs.

Wiltshire uses downloadable application and renewal forms. The council must grant a licence if the HMO is reasonably suitable for the number of occupiers, the licence holder and any manager are fit and proper, and the management and financial arrangements are satisfactory. Its fit and proper test looks at unspent convictions for violence, sexual offences, drugs and fraud, breaches of housing or landlord and tenant law, and unlawful discrimination.

HMO management duties in Wiltshire

Every HMO, licensed or not, must follow the HMO management regulations. The council highlights the main duties: display the manager's name, address and phone number in the common parts; keep fire escape routes clear and fire equipment and alarms working; maintain the water supply and drainage; have fixed electrics inspected at least every 5 years; send the latest gas safety record and electrical test results to the council within 7 days of a written request; and keep common parts and living accommodation clean and in good repair. Failing to comply is a criminal offence.

Wiltshire landlord licence fees

Wiltshire Council publishes these HMO licence fees for a first licence (or after a lapse or revocation), by number of lettings: up to 5, £375; 6 to 10, £475; 11 to 15, £560; 16 to 20, £660; more than 20, £750. Renewal on expiry is £200 if circumstances are unchanged, or £350 with a new licence holder or changes to the property. A variation for a change of manager or licence holder is £150, and a change in numbers is £200 plus any banding difference. The council charges £50 to return an incomplete, illegible or inaccurate application. If it issues a licence for less than 5 years, the fee is reduced pro rata.

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 Wiltshire? 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 a kitchen, bathroom or toilet, you need a mandatory HMO licence from Wiltshire Council.
3. If 3 or 4 sharers live there, no licence is needed, but it's still an HMO and the management regulations apply.
4. If it's a single-household let, no property licence is needed.
5. In Swindon, check Swindon Borough Council's own rules, not Wiltshire's.

People also ask about landlord licensing in Wiltshire

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

How much is an HMO licence in Wiltshire? £375 for up to 5 lettings, rising to £750 for more than 20.

Is a 3-bed house with 3 unrelated tenants an HMO in Wiltshire? Yes, it's an HMO under the Housing Act 2004, but it doesn't need a licence because fewer than 5 people live there.

What every Wiltshire landlord must do, licence or not

A property licence doesn't replace the national rules; it adds to them. In Wiltshire, as everywhere in England, a landlord must also:

• get an annual gas safety check from a Gas Safe registered engineer and hand tenants the record;
• arrange an electrical installation condition report (EICR) at least every 5 years;
• let only with an EPC of band E or better, unless an exemption is registered;
• protect a tenancy deposit within 30 days in an approved scheme;
• provide working smoke alarms on each storey and carbon monoxide alarms where there's a fixed combustion appliance, other than a gas cooker;
• check every adult tenant's Right to Rent before the tenancy begins.

Licence applications in most councils ask you to upload the gas record, EICR and EPC, so having them in date before you apply saves a round of requests.

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

Councils treat unlicensed letting seriously. It's a criminal offence that can lead to prosecution and an unlimited fine, or a civil penalty of up to £40,000 per offence (the maximum rose from £30,000 on 1 May 2026). Tenants can also ask the First-tier Tribunal for a rent repayment order of up to 24 months' rent. Councils including Westminster, Brighton & Hove and Islington spell these figures out on their licensing pages. A duly made application is your protection, so don't wait for the council to find the property first.

Keeping to your licence conditions

Getting the licence is a one-off; keeping to its conditions lasts the life of the licence, which is usually up to 5 years. Conditions commonly require you to produce a current gas safety certificate on request, keep alarms in working order, supply electrical test results, and manage repairs and tenancy paperwork properly.

Gaffy is built for that ongoing part. You keep each property's gas certificate, EICR, EPC and licence in one vault with expiry dates, and Gaffy warns you before anything runs out. Tenants report repairs from a link that opens in their phone's browser, so every problem arrives with photos and a date, and you can show the council a clear repair log. It costs £12 a month for up to 5 properties and £4 a month for each additional property, with the first month free. We don't make licence applications for you.