- Why do I need to apply for an Additional Licence?
Please visit the Local Authority’s website for further information about Additional Licensing in the administrative area of Reading Borough Council. The website will tell you everything you need to know about Additional Licensing and any active schemes in the area.
You will also find information about the consultation, the licence conditions and your obligations as a Landlord.
The following link will take you directly to the appropriate page: Visit Reading Borough Council's website.
- What are the penalties for not having an Additional Licence?
It is against the law for any Landlord to rent out a property in a designated Additional Licence area without a licence. The Local Authority is committed to working with other partner agencies to find unlicensed properties and take legal action.
Landlords with unlicensed rented properties can face a financial penalty of up to £30,000 or an unlimited fine from the court. Their control of unlicensed properties can be removed and they can be ordered to repay up to 12 months rent to the Local Authority or their tenants.
If you are aware of a property being let that does not have a licence, please email info@home-safe.org.uk with any details.
- Are there any exemptions?
Yes. The full list of exemptions can be found on the Local Authority’s website.
If the property is already exempt then no application is required. If you are in the process of making the property exempt but the property is currently a HMO, then you must make an application for a licence or for a temporary exemption from licensing.
Please note a temporary exemption only applies in special circumstances, an intention to sell is not grounds for an exemption unless it comes with steps to change the occupancy, and if granted will last for 3 months. Please note however, only two consecutive temporary exemption notices can be granted, and if the property is still let after that, you will need to apply for a licence.
You can apply for a temporary exemption if you are taking steps to bring the property outside the scope of the licensing scheme. Usually this would involve proposals to vacate the property, or rent to a single family unit. The Council will be asking what steps you are taking to achieve this. Supporting documents may include correspondence from the tenant confirming that they are moving out, or notices to quit or notices seeking possession served on the tenants.
The Council will only consider applications relating to sale of the property where you can either show steps being taken to remove occupants (as above) or that a sale is agreed – a memorandum of sale will be required.
- Who is Home Safe?
Home Safe is a Delivery Partner that works with Local Authorities on the administration of their property licensing schemes, enabling Local Authorities to focus their resources on targeted enforcement against non-compliant Landlords. By working with a Delivery Partner, the Local Authority is able to provide Landlords with an online property portal enabling them to add their properties, submit licence applications and manage their ongoing compliance.
As part of Home Safe’s service, we provide a managed licence application experience, to ensure that Landlords are supported in submitting a compliant application. The Delivery Partner also manages and delivers the inspection programmes during the scheme and is responsible for identifying issues within a property that will require managing within an agreed compliance management process. It's important to note that the Local Authority is the Licensing Authority, and any licence issued or enforcement delivered will be done by the Local Authority.
- How do I apply for a licence?
To apply for a licence you must submit an application via Home Safe. To do that you will need to register as an Applicant and verify your identification, after which you can add your property and apply for your licence(s). You will find a link to register and log in in the top right corner of this website, and once registered you will then need to use the login button to access the portal where you can add your properties and submit your licence applications.
- Can I apply directly to the Local Authority?
No. The Local Authority has engaged the services of a Delivery Partner, Home Safe, to manage the application and inspection process. In essence applying via Home Safe is the same as applying directly to a Local Authority, Applications must be made through the Home Safe platform.
- How do I register as an Applicant?
To apply for a property licence, you must first register as an Applicant. This allows your identity and address to be verified before you can begin adding properties and submitting licence applications.
To start, click ‘Register as an Applicant’ on the portal homepage. You’ll be asked to enter your email address, and a verification code will be sent to you by email. Enter this code to proceed.
You’ll then begin the registration process, which involves providing your personal details and verifying your identity and proof of address using Yoti, a secure, government-approved identification platform. In most cases, verification is completed within a few minutes, but please allow up to 48 hours.
Once your identity has been successfully verified, you will receive a confirmation email which includes a link to complete your registration. You’ll then be taken to the portal so that you can add your property details, and begin your licence application. From this point onwards you can access the portal from the Home Safe website using the login button which is in the top right corner the Landlord section of our website.
Please note that you must complete the Applicant registration and identity verification before you can submit any applications.
- Is Yoti Secure?
Yoti is government-approved and uses advanced encryption and meets the highest security standards. Verification through Yoti is a legal requirement of the scheme and must be completed before you can apply for a licence.
- Which documents can I use to verify my identity with Yoti?
For online verification you will need either a valid Passport or UK Drivers Licence and either a Utility Bill, Council Tax Bill or Bank Statement, dated within the last 3 months. As an alternative applicants have the option of verifying their identity via a participating Post Office branch, at which point alternative documents can be used, a list of accepted documents can be found here.
- What information will I need to apply for a licence?
To apply for a licence you will need to register with Home Safe with proof of identity and proof of address documents.
You will also need to provide proof of ownership in the form of one of the following:
- Land Registry Title Register
- A copy of the TR1 Form, or TP1 Form (this is the form sent to the land registry to register the transfer of ownership)
- An email or letter from your solicitor confirming ownership
- A copy of a mortgage statement dated within the last 3 months
If you are not the owner, you will need to provide a signed nominated consent form.
In order to submit a licence application, you will need to have all relevant information about the property and the tenancy to hand, as well as electronic copies of all relevant certificates, such as:
- Electrical Installation Condition Report (EICR) or Electrical Installation Certificate (EIC)
- Gas Certificate (GSC)
- Energy Performance Certificate (EPC) if required, for the current letting. If you don’t have a copy, you can find your EPC using the government’s EPC Register.
- Tenancy details, if the property is currently let
- Fire Alarm Test Certificate (if the property has a fire alarm panel)
- Emergency Lighting Test Certificate (if the property has emergency lighting)
- Fire Extinguisher Service Record (if the property has fire extinguishers)
- Floor plan
Please note you will be required to provide contact details including names, numbers and email addresses for all relevant parties, such as mortgage companies and in cases of leasehold flats, the freeholder. You will also be required to enter details of any active tenancies at the property, this will include the tenancy start date and further information on the number of occupiers. You can also provide the tenant contact information, which is helpful, especially if you wish for them to be the point of contact for your inspection.
You will need to provide details of the appropriate person to contact in order to arrange your property inspections. If its not yourself, the tenant or an associated Agent then you will be prompted to add the contact details of the nominated person.
- How long will it take to do an application?
If you have all the required information to hand then submitting a valid application should take no more than 5 minutes per property. Please note that once you have started an application you have 28 days to complete and submit that application. Failure to do this will result in your application locking and you will then be required to request for it to be ‘unlocked’ and provide reasons as to why you were unable to complete your application within the 28 day period. This could result in enforcement action being taken against you for failure to licence.
- How much will it cost?
The total cost of a licence is £1500.00 in total, Part A is £750.00 and Part B is £750.00. Payment of Part A must be made with your application submission in order for your application to be considered complete and valid.
- How do I pay for my application?
Part A of the fee is payable when the application is submitted, and Part B of the fee will be invoiced at the point the draft licence is issued. The final licence cannot be issued until Part B has been paid in full, this will need paying within 7 days of the invoice being issued. If a licence is rejected or otherwise not issued, only the Part B element of the fee is eligible for a refund.
At the end of the application process, you will be asked to pay Part A of the licence fee using a UK debit or credit card, it will not be possible to submit your application without payment. If you are unable to make your payment using a card then you will need to contact Home Safe to explore other payment options.
- Who is the most suitable person to be a licence holder?
It is important to note that the licence holder is the person legally responsible for the property and the person against whom any enforcement action would be taken, should that be necessary.
It is expected that the most appropriate person to be the licence holder would be the person acting as Landlord and this would typically be the property owner as typically they would be in receipt of the rental income. Applications from any individuals that are not the property owner will be subject to review and will require the submission of a consent form and may require additional supporting information to be submitted.
In such cases where a property is owned by a Limited Company then it is the position of Reading Borough Council to issue the licence in the name of the Limited company (as they are a legal entity) unless a specific request is made to issue the licence in the name of the applicant.
- Can I be a licence holder if I do not live in the UK?
If you are applying for a licence from overseas, and want to be the licence holder, you must nominate a UK-based managing agent who is a member of a property redress scheme, who can act on your behalf.
Overseas applicants will need to manually enter their address when registering, as the postcode lookup will only work for UK addresses.
- Can my agent be the licence holder?
If you are the property owner and you reside in the UK, unless you have specifically been informed by the Local Authority that you cannot hold a licence, then then you are the most appropriate person to be the licence holder, and your Agent should be added to your application as an interested party, using the ‘Add Agent’ feature within your application. It is not appropriate for an Agent to be the licence holder unless proper justification can be provided, such as the property owner not residing in the UK.
Please note that in order to add your Agent to an application, your Agent must first register and verify themselves with Home Safe. If an Agent does not appear in the list of available Agents, then you can add your Agent manually in order to proceed and Home Safe will seek to verify them. If the Agent is not responsive, then you will be required to remove them from your application or add a verified Agent in order for your application to be considered a valid submission.
- How do I calculate maximum occupancy?
To calculate the maximum occupancy, you must refer to the minimum floor-space requirements and the amenities requirements set out in the scheme conditions. Any room used as sleeping accommodation must meet the minimum size for the number and age of occupants you intend to house.
A room used as sleeping accommodation by one person aged 10 years or over must be at least 6.51m², while a room used by two people aged over 10 years must be at least 10.5m². If a room will be occupied by one child under 10 years old, it must be at least 4.64m².
Our inspector will verify your calculation during the inspection. If the figure is incorrect, the licence will be varied to reflect the accurate maximum occupancy. Our inspectors will assess room-by-room occupancy to ensure that no individual room is over-occupied, even where the property’s maximum permitted occupancy is not exceeded.
- What is the benefit of the Local Authority engaging a Delivery Partner to support them with the delivery of their scheme?
With regard to applications, it removes the administrative burden from the Local Authority and allows them to focus their activities on issuing licences and enforcement. With regard to property inspections, it allows for a greater volume of inspections to be carried out, which serves to highlight the worst-performing Landlords. In all scenarios, the Local Authority can focus its resources on enforcing against those most deserving, more efficiently and effectively. Using a delivery partner also ensures that the scheme is delivered as intended and without needing additional funds from the public purse.
For Landlords, Home Safe provides additional help, training and support throughout the entire licensing period and creates a level playing field for all Landlords operating in the area In recognition of the financial pressures that some Landlords may experience as a result of licensing, Home Safe has negotiated a number of discounts with reputable organisations that Licence Holders can benefit from. To see the current discounts available please visit the ‘Landlord Discounts’ area of our website or select the following link Landlord Discounts.
- What if I need to change my agent after my licence has been granted?
Once your licence has been issued you can go back to your portal, go to your licensed property and select the action to change your Agent.
- What happens if any of my property certificates expire before my application is processed?
Once you have submitted your application, you are required to ensure that your latest certificates are always uploaded to your property portal in order to demonstrate ongoing compliance. By doing this, your property certificates should always be up to date. If your certificates were valid at the time the application was submitted, then your application will be processed as a valid application. However, your licence, once issued, will require up to date certificates to be kept on the portal, so following your final licence being issued, your property will then be brought to the immediate attention of the Local Authority for consideration of a failure to certificate offence. Failure to provide up-to-date certificates can result in enforcement action by the Local Authority, and in some cases, your licence may be revoked.
- How long will I have to complete my application once I have started it?
Once an application has been started you will have 28 Days to complete and submit your application. An application is only considered to have a valid submission if all the information provided is correct, the certificates are valid, and payment of the Part A Fee has been received. During the 28 day period you will receive a number of email reminders but following the expiry of the 28 days your application will lock and you will need to contact Home Safe in order for the application to be unlocked. Please note, you are required to make an application for a licence once you have 3 or more occupants using the property in multiple occupation and failure to do so could result in a significant fine and is considered a criminal offence.
If you have recently purchased a vacant property that you wish to let, we recommend you apply in advance of letting. You can lawfully operate once you have submitted a valid application.
- What happens once my application is submitted?
Once your application has been submitted, it will show as submitted in your portal, and you will receive an email confirmation that you have submitted a valid application. Following this Home Safe will review your application, and once all information is verified, it will be passed to the Local Authority for processing. It's worth noting that during this time, Home Safe or the Local Authority may need to come back to you for further information.
Once a valid application has been processed, the applicant and all identified interested parties will be sent a draft licence and the applicant will be emailed an invoice for the Part B element of the fee, which will need to be paid within 7 days. After a period of 35 days has lapsed, if there have been no representations made that require further investigation and payment of the Part B fee has been received, then the Local Authority can issue the final licence. It’s important to note that the process of issuing a final licence can take up to 6 months, if you have received your email confirmation of a valid application, then please do not chase up your licence until six months have elapsed. Tacit consent is not applicable to this type of application as the Local Authority must ensure that the applicant licence holder is the most appropriate person, is a ‘Fit and Proper Person’, adequate management arrangements are in place and that the property connected with the application is within the designated Additional Licensing scheme area.
You can however, continue to lawfully operate once a valid application is submitted with the required documentation and payment of the Part A fee has been paid.
- When will I get my first inspection?
There will be two inspection programmes during the scheme during which all properties will be inspected. The first inspection programme is likely to begin in September 2026. The second inspection programme will likely begin in September 2028. Both programmes will last for two years.
Before inspections begin, Home Safe will schedule an event to help licence holders prepare for the inspections. We will also contact the licence holders, agent, tenant (if details have been provided) and nominated point of contact when an inspection is due to be arranged. The nominated point of contact will be contacted using the information provided during the application, with an invitation to book an inspection on a booking platform. You are expected to update the nominated point of contact information, as well as your tenant information during the scheme if there have been any changes. Please note that it remains the responsibility of the licence holder to facilitate access even if a third party has been nominated as a point of contact and even if the property is managed by an Agent.
- What if I change my personal details?
If there is a change to your name, personal address or contact information, then you must update the profile information within your portal, which will take you back through the identity verification process. In the case of a change to a licence holder's name or personal address, this will raise a variation request which may result in a charge, depending upon your Local Authorities schedule of charges, as we may need to change the details on the licence itself.
- What if I no longer need a licence?
Once your licence has been issued, you can go to your portal and request a termination. This is typically done if you have sold the property, no longer intend to let the property or no longer wish to be the licence holder. Please note that no refunds will be issued for any licences terminated.
If your licence is no longer needed due to a sale of the property, you will need to provide evidence such as a copy of the TR1 sent to the land registry showing the transferor and transferee or a solicitor's letter. Please note that an intention to sell is not grounds for revocation.
- What if I sell the property?
You will need to submit a termination request in order to have your licence revoked, which you can do in your portal.
- If I sell the property am I entitled to a refund?
No, there are no refunds available for licence fees.
- Is the licence transferable?
No. Each licence is for the named licence holder, and if, for whatever reason, that person needs to change, then a new application and accompanying fee must be submitted, and the existing licence will need to be revoked.
- What happens once the licence is issued?
Once the licence has been issued by the Local Authority, you are operating legally, but you must continue to comply with the licence conditions. Within the licence period, a number of property inspections will be carried out on each licensed property. This is to ensure no serious hazards exist in your property. In the case in which Home Safe are delivering the relevant inspection programme, following the completion of each inspection you will receive a report, by email, which will detail any identified issues and will categorise such issues as Advisory, Potentially Enforceable or Imminent Danger. You will be expected to resolve any identified issues in a reasonable timescale and provide evidence that such issues have been resolved. If this evidence is not provided, the Local Authority may take enforcement action against you as the licence holder.
Throughout the duration of the scheme, Licence Holders are expected to keep the information in their property portal up to date at all times, including the updating of any new certificates; failure to do so could result in enforcement action by the Local Authority.
- How can I contact Home Safe?
In the first instance, all enquiries should be sent by email to info@home-safe.org.uk
- What are the scheme conditions?
The scheme conditions can be found here.
- Why do I need to provide my mortgage company details?
Your mortgage company is classed as a Relevant Person. The Local Authority has a legal duty to notify the mortgage company that a licence application has been submitted and give them the opportunity to make representations.
During the application process, you should provide contact details for your mortgage lender (not your broker). Where possible, provide a general company email address rather than a named individual, as this helps ensure the notification is received and processed correctly. The most reliable way to find the correct contact details is via the FCA register: FCA Financial Services Register
- How do I apply for a temporary exemption?
To apply for a temporary exemption, you will need to register as an Applicant with Home Safe and add your property in the portal.
On your dashboard in the portal, you can apply for an exemption by clicking the button alongside the property.
