Additional HMO licensing · Oxford City Council
The Oxford City Council Designation of an Area for Additional Licensing of Houses in Multiple Occupation 2021 (scheme name: Oxford City Council Additional Licensing of Houses in Multiple Occupation Scheme 2021)
- Status
- Ended
- Dates
- 10 June 2021 to 9 June 2026
- Designated
- 10 March 2021
- Applies to
- HMOs anywhere in Oxford that didn't need a mandatory licence: usually homes let to three or four people from two or more households, shared flats in any building, and converted blocks of flats that were mainly or wholly rented out. The scheme ended on 9 June 2026 and a new citywide scheme started on 25 June 2026.
Our records last verified 18 October 2026 · council designation page · licence conditions
Area covered
The scheme covers the whole of Oxford City Council. Every privately rented property in the borough that meets the scheme’s criteria needs a licence, wherever it is.
What this means for landlords
Additional HMO licensing extends licensing to shared homes below the national 5-person mandatory threshold. If your property in this area houses unrelated sharers, check the scheme’s occupancy criteria. Running a licensable HMO without a licence carries the same penalties as any licensing offence: a civil penalty of up to £40,000 and a rent repayment order of up to 24 months’ rent.
Is your property inside the scheme area?
This checker reflects HouseFile’s records of council licensing designations, not the councils’ live registers. Our records indicate the position at the verification date shown on each result. Schemes are designated, renewed and revoked throughout the year, and postcode-level lookups are approximate near scheme boundaries. Always confirm with the council before letting or buying a property, using the source link on each card. This is general information, not legal advice.
If you hold a licence here, HouseFile can track its renewal date
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