Medway Council Is Moving To Data-Led Enforcement
Property Licensing Guide for Medway
Medway launches selective licensing and additional licensing on 4 January 2027; mandatory HMO licensing already applies everywhere. Last checked: 20 October 2026.
This free guide will provide you with the key details regarding what licensing requirements are necessary in this area and how to apply for a licence.
New to this? Read our overview: What is selective licensing?
Medway is in the South East registration window for the PRS database, which opens on 15 March 2027: see PRS database registration in the South East.
Medway Property Licensing Schemes
Selective and additional licences depend on the ward, so check each Medway address first. Kamma’s free checker tests an address against every scheme. Mandatory HMO licensing applies in all 24 wards.
Is manual compliance causing a headache for your agency? At Kamma, we specialise in automating licensing compliance for agents across the UK. If you need any assistance in getting your property portfolio compliant, find out how we can help letting agents here.
Not sure whether a Medway property needs a licence? Kamma's free checker covers selective, additional and HMO schemes.
Check a Medway property →What are the licensing requirements for Medway?
Mandatory licensing in Medway
Mandatory HMO licensing applies across Medway (and all of England) to larger HMOs. These are properties occupied by five or more people forming more than one household, including:
- Shared houses and flats occupied by students and young professionals.
- Properties converted into bedsits with some shared facilities.
- Properties converted into a mix of self-contained and non-self-contained accommodation.
Do I need an additional property licence in Medway?
Additional licensing requires smaller HMOs in a designated area to be licensed. That means a privately rented property with three or more people forming more than one household.
Medway does not yet operate an additional HMO licensing scheme. One is designated to begin on 4 January 2027, and is set out below.
Do I need a selective licence in Medway?
Selective licensing requires almost all privately rented properties in a designated area to be licensed, regardless of the number of occupants.
Medway does not yet operate a selective licensing scheme. One is designated to begin on 4 January 2027, and is set out below.
Additional licensing: 4 January 2027 to 3 January 2032, covering Chatham Central & Brompton, Fort Pitt, Gillingham North, Gillingham South, Luton and Watling.
Selective licensing: 4 January 2027 to 3 January 2032, covering Chatham Central & Brompton, Fort Pitt, Gillingham North, Gillingham South, Luton, Strood North & Frindsbury and Watling.
Medway approved both designations on 22 September 2026 and has published the public notices of designation.
Mandatory HMO licensing: in force since 2006 for HMOs of five or more people forming more than one household.
How do I apply for a licence?
You can apply for a licence via Medway Council’s website here. Or let Kamma’s expert team process the application for you.
How much does a licence cost?
Licence fees
This guide does not yet carry a verified licence fee for Medway. Fees are set by the council and change, so check Medway Council’s licensing pages for the current schedule before budgeting for an application.
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Medway Property Licensing FAQs
What licensing schemes does Medway operate?
Medway will operate selective and additional licensing (4 January 2027 to 3 January 2032), alongside the national mandatory HMO scheme. The council approved both designations on 22 September 2026 and has published the public notices. See the scheme details above.
Do all properties in Medway need a licence?
Not every Medway property needs a licence. From 4 January 2027, selective licensing will cover privately rented homes in 7 wards. Additional licensing will cover smaller HMOs in 6 of those wards. Mandatory HMO licensing already applies to HMOs of five or more people in every Medway ward.
What if my property doesn't have a licence?
An unlicensed property in Medway that needs a licence can bring civil penalties of up to £40,000 per property. Rent repayment orders of up to 24 months can also apply. Letting agents can be held liable alongside landlords.
Can letting agents apply on behalf of landlords?
Yes. Letting agents can apply for property licences on behalf of landlords in Medway. Many manage the full process, including the selective and additional licences that open for application on 4 January 2027.
How do I apply for a Medway property licence?
Medway Council takes licence applications online. Selective and additional licence applications open on Monday 4 January 2027 on the council’s licensing page. The council’s fees are £840 for selective and £1,600 for additional. Each is paid in two parts, the first with the application. Mandatory HMO applications use the council’s HMO page. Kamma can also prepare the application.
How long does an application take?
Medway processing times vary with the council’s workload and the quality of the application. A complete, correctly prepared application is processed fastest.
Why did Medway introduce selective licensing?
Medway Council approved selective licensing on 22 September 2026 for 7 wards. It starts on 4 January 2027 and runs to 3 January 2032. The council’s consultation report and its response to feedback, linked from its licensing page, set out its reasons.
Why did Medway introduce additional licensing?
Medway Council approved additional HMO licensing on 22 September 2026 for 6 wards. It starts on 4 January 2027 and runs to 3 January 2032. It applies to smaller HMOs that the national mandatory scheme does not cover. The council’s reasons are in its consultation documents on its licensing page.
What are the conditions to obtain an HMO licence in Medway?
Medway Council’s mandatory HMO licence conditions set standards for fire safety, amenities, room sizes and management (licence conditions). Conditions for the selective and additional schemes were not checked.
About Medway
Medway Council approved both designations on 22 September 2026 and published the public notices on 8 October 2026. Selective licensing covers 7 of the 24 wards. Additional HMO licensing covers 6 of them. Both run for five years, to 3 January 2032. The council says applications open online on Monday 4 January 2027. Its licensing page carries the ward maps.
Licensing Enforcement in Medway
Medway Council does not yet enforce selective or additional licensing, because both start on 4 January 2027. Mandatory HMO licensing already applies. The council says running a large HMO without a licence is a criminal offence. Civil penalties of up to £40,000 per property and rent repayment orders of up to 24 months can apply to licensing offences. Letting agents can be held liable alongside landlords.
Applying for a property licence in Medway
A Medway licence application is made to the council on the council’s own form, with the documents that council asks for. Requirements differ between councils and change when a designation changes, which is most of why an application that was correct last year is not necessarily correct now.
Letting agents can have Kamma do it. We prepare and submit mandatory HMO, additional HMO and selective licence applications in Medway and in every other UK council area, collect the supporting documents from you or from your landlord, and monitor the application through to approval. The licensing application service page sets out what we need and what happens when a council rejects a submission.
Landlords should speak to their letting agent, who can instruct us directly.
