Letting a property in Brighton and Hove: a landlord’s guide

General information as at October 2026, not legal advice. Always check the council’s current scheme before letting.

Landlord licensing in Brighton and Hove

• Selective licensing: Selective licensing has applied since 2 September 2024 (to 1 September 2029) in four wards: Kemptown, Moulsecoomb & Bevendean, Queen's Park, and Whitehawk & Brighton Marina. A further 13 areas were approved to be phased in, with Regency and Central Hove designated from 20 October 2026, but the council says that expansion is paused while a legal challenge is reviewed: check with the council before letting there.
• Additional HMO licensing: Citywide additional HMO licensing from 1 July 2024 to 30 June 2029 for HMOs of two or more storeys with three or four unrelated occupiers (single-storey flats with three or four sharers come under the selective scheme); larger HMOs need a mandatory licence.
• Fees: £740 for a standard selective licence (£518 on application, £222 on approval), £590–£665 with discounts, £840 if late (council fees page).

Separately, every large HMO (5 or more people forming 2 or more households) needs a mandatory HMO licence anywhere in England. Source: Brighton & Hove City Council.

Brighton & Hove City Council: private renting and licensing

Safety certificates

• Gas Safety (CP12): every 12 months, by a Gas Safe registered engineer.
• EICR: at least every 5 years, by a qualified electrician.
• EPC: rated E or above, valid for 10 years.
• Alarms: a smoke alarm on every storey, and a carbon monoxide alarm in rooms with a fixed combustion appliance (not gas cookers).

Book a Gas Safety certificate, EICR or EPC in Brighton and Hove at a fixed price, and keep track of expiry dates in the free landlord dashboard.

Deposits and the inventory

Protect the deposit in the DPS, TDS or mydeposits within 30 days. At the end, the scheme decides any dispute on the evidence, above all the check-in compared with the check-out, so the inventory is what protects you.

What to record in Brighton and Hove homes

• Regency and Victorian conversions near the seafront: photograph sash windows, cornices, damp patches and any salt staining on window frames and railings.
• Student HMOs around Moulsecoomb, Bevendean and the Lewes Road: photograph each bedroom door lock, fire doors, smoke alarms and the shared kitchen in detail.
• Flats in converted houses: photograph the meter cupboards, communal hallway and stairs, and record keys for the street door and the flat.
• Basement and lower-ground flats in Hove and Kemptown: photograph walls near floor level and light wells for damp and mould.
• Steep Hanover terraces: photograph rear yards, steps and drains, and any cracks in garden walls.
• Licensed properties: photograph the displayed licence or note its number, and check the room count matches the licence.

Start your inventory free

Homes sold in Brighton and Hove in the last 12 months

Type	Sales	Average price
Flat or maisonette	1,083	£323,837
Terraced	737	£536,882
Semi-detached	469	£565,721
Detached	283	£827,428
Other	103	£581,636

HM Land Registry Price Paid Data since 27 October 2025, updated monthly. Look up any address in the free property report.