Houses in multiple occupation in Portsmouth
Portsmouth relies on shared housing, but it is heavily concentrated, and the public cannot yet see whether licensing is improving standards.
Census 2021: 2.120% of dwellings, about 3.0 times England.
69.7% of combined-register records are in Charles Dickens, Central Southsea, St Thomas.
Licensing coverage expanded on 1 September 2023. Standards and enforcement outcomes are not published.
High prevalence, sharp local concentration, incomplete outcome evidence. HMOs also provide lower-cost rooms the city needs: the people who live in them are residents, not the problem.
Portsmouth City Council (planning and licensing, separately); Planning Inspectors for the Local Plan; Government and Parliament for national law.
Local Plan policy PLP20 (Houses in Multiple Occupation), under examination (submitted plan under examination). The additional-licensing scheme ends on 31 August 2028 unless renewed.
Check an address on the council register, or find the team that deals with your problem.
There is no single number of HMOs in Portsmouth
Each figure below answers a different question, on a different date, with a different definition. Their disagreement is a data-quality story, not a reason to pick the biggest or smallest.
1,933
Dwellings identified as HMOs, Census 2021
Not the same as: a current count, or anything about licensing or planning status.
6,000
Council estimate of all HMOs (LAHS f8a)
Not the same as: a measured count. The council chooses its own method.
3,107
Records in licensed categories on the council register
Not the same as: properties or total stock. With the 18 rows marked unlicensed there are 3,125 combined-register records.
1,136
Unknown or possible HMOs on the council's planning map
Not the same as: a total. The same map marks 3,230 HMOs as licensed (4,366 in all). Method not published.
Do not add these together. They overlap in unknown ways, and each has its own date. Never draw one line through them.
▸Why the counts differ
- Census 2021 RM192: number of dwellings that are HMOs (edition 2021, version 2). Dwellings identified as HMOs (small + large).
- Census Day 21 March 2021: a fixed benchmark, not a current count.
- Cell-key perturbation: small cells may be adjusted by ONS; sums of areas can differ slightly from other ONS tables.
- Local Authority Housing Statistics open data 1978-79 to 2024-25 (items f8a, f9a, f10a). Council estimate of all HMOs at 31 Mar 2025 (f8a).
- Council estimate: LAHS guidance lets each council choose its own method (surveys, admin data). Not a measured count.
- The same round figure (6,000) was returned for 2021/22 to 2024/25; the 2022 consultation described it as ~1,226 licensed + ~4,700 non-licensable.
- Portsmouth combined HMO public register (CSV), September 2026. Portsmouth City Council combined HMO public register: rows in licensed categories (additional + mandatory + Section 257); excludes the 18 rows marked unlicensed.
- Records, not properties: 49 UPRNs repeat across 370 rows (largest group 125 rows); no rows are deduplicated.
- Applications in progress do not appear until a licence is issued.
- Citywide additional licensing began 1 Sep 2023; counts before and after are not a stock trend.
- Licensing moved from Rocktime Verso to Metastreet on 22 Jun 2026; movement around that date may reflect migration.
- Authority Monitoring Report 2024/25 (Local Plan examination document PCC01, April 2026). Unknown/possible HMOs on the planning HMO map, alongside 3,230 licensed HMOs (total 4,366).
- Planning-monitoring estimate; method not published.
- Supersedes the AMR 2023/24 figure (1,649 unknown/possible, January 2025).
- Do not add to register or LAHS values.
69.7% of combined-register records are in three wards
2,178 of 3,125 combined-register records are in Charles Dickens, Central Southsea, St Thomas. The ward-missing row is kept: 33 records have no ward in the source.
Counts of register records by ward, not rates: a ward dwelling denominator is not yet in the registry. Individual addresses are not shown here; use the council register to check one.
What is on the register
| Category in the source | Records |
|---|---|
| Additional HMO licence | 1,628 |
| Mandatory HMO licence | 1,250 |
| 257 HMO | 229 |
| Records in licensed categories | 3,107 |
| Marked unlicensed in the source | 18 |
| Combined-register records | 3,125 |
- All 18 have no ward, licence reference or licence dates in the source.
- Records are not properties: 2,804 distinct property references (UPRNs) across 3,125 rows; 49 references repeat across 370 rows (largest group 125 rows), usually several licensed units in one building. Nothing is deduplicated.
- 2,581 of 3,125 rows have no planning reference. A blank planning field does not prove a property lacks lawful planning status.
- Applications still in progress do not appear until a licence is issued, so a missing address may be an application in progress.
Breaks in the series
- Coverage expanded 1 September 2023. Citywide additional licensing began: every HMO of 3+ people in 2+ households (and mainly tenanted section 257 buildings) now needs a licence. The register gained a new category.
- Licensing system changed 22 June 2026. HMO licensing moved from Rocktime Verso to Metastreet (old system closed 10am, 22 June 2026). The council says some migrated information "may be labelled differently or need updating".
A larger register after 1 September 2023 shows licensing coverage expanding. It is not evidence that the number of HMOs rose by the same amount.
Just below Southampton, far above England and the rest of Hampshire
Census 2021 is the like-for-like comparison. Portsmouth's share was 0.23 percentage points below Southampton's, about 3.0 times England's and about 8.5 times the Hampshire County Council area's. Portsmouth ranked 26th of 309 English councils; Southampton 20th.
HMO dwellings as a share of all dwellings, Census Day 21 March 2021. Hampshire CC area = Hampshire County Council area (11 districts: Basingstoke and Deane, East Hampshire, Eastleigh, Fareham, Gosport, Hart, Havant, New Forest, Rushmoor, Test Valley, Winchester; excludes Portsmouth and Southampton). Source: Census 2021 RM192: number of dwellings that are HMOs (edition 2021, version 2).
What the councils themselves report (qualified comparison)
| Area | Council estimate of all HMOs | Estimate, mandatory-licensable | Mandatory licences |
|---|---|---|---|
| Portsmouth | 6,000 | 1,300 | 1,194 |
| Southampton | 6,000 | 2,300 | 2,115 |
| Hampshire CC area | 2,240 | 1,044 | 932 |
| England (sum of reporting councils) | 458,855 | 132,246 | 95,217 |
- At 31 March 2025. Council estimate: LAHS guidance lets each council choose its own method (surveys, admin data). Not a measured count.
- In several districts the estimate equals the licence count (e.g. Fareham 24/24/24, Gosport 40/40/40), which suggests only licensed stock was counted.
- England: Sum of f8a for 295 of 296 English LAs; Sum of f9a for 283 of 296 English LAs; Sum of f10a for 289 of 296 English LAs.
- The Portsmouth and Southampton live licence registers are not compared: the schemes cover different areas and categories.
A council estimate: 3,920, 4,440, 6,828, 6,000, 6,000, 6,000, 6,000
Portsmouth's LAHS estimate of all HMOs peaked at 6,828 in 2020/21 and has been 6,000 in each of the last 4 returns. These are estimates made with a local method, not measured counts, so the steps are not a measured rise or fall in properties.
| 2018/19 | 2019/20 | 2020/21 | 2021/22 | 2022/23 | 2023/24 | 2024/25 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3,920 | 4,440 | 6,828 | 6,000 | 6,000 | 6,000 | 6,000 |
- Council estimate: LAHS guidance lets each council choose its own method (surveys, admin data). Not a measured count.
- The same round figure (6,000) was returned for 2021/22 to 2024/25; the 2022 consultation described it as ~1,226 licensed + ~4,700 non-licensable.
Shared rooms are part of how the city houses people
HMOs house students, workers, contractors, single adults and people on lower incomes. The council also uses HMO rooms to prevent and relieve homelessness.
More than 250
People who were homeless or threatened with homelessness helped into HMO rooms by the council in 2024-25
Not the same as: a monthly series; sustainment is not reported.
95
Of those helped into HMO rooms, people who were living in temporary accommodation
£5.9m
Budget pressure from homelessness and temporary accommodation
Not the same as: a cost caused by HMOs. Attributed to "the national increase in homelessness and associated requirements for temporary accommodation", not to temporary accommodation alone.
UK Stat Pack analysis. A policy that removes rooms without adding self-contained or supported alternatives can move cost and hardship into homelessness services. That is why concentration, standards and replacement supply have to be judged together.
The only measured evidence is a dated council analysis
The HMO SPD, October 2019, Appendix 5 compared complaints about HMOs with a licence against other homes. The period the data covers is not stated in the source.
| Group in the 2019 analysis | Properties | Complaints relating to them | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| HMOs with a licence at the time | 1,202 | 108 | 9.0% |
| Other homes (not HMOs) | 94,128 | 950 | 1.0% |
For the categories mess, neighbour, waste and HMO, complaints related to 3.16% of the HMOs with a licence and 0.25% of other homes: about 12 times the rate, as stated in the SPD (Calculated 3.16 / 0.25 = 12.6 (unrounded 12.56); the SPD itself says "12x").
- Historic baseline; the data period is not stated in the SPD.
- The table column is headed "complaints"; the text says complaints "relating to 9% of licensed HMO properties".
- Association, not proof that an HMO caused each complaint.
The dated complaint analysis above, and nothing more recent.
Parking, noise, waste and community balance, in consultations, the SPD and the MPs' forum. These are concerns, not measurements.
Current complaint rates and whether HMOs affect fly-tipping, noise, parking or crime today. See what is not published.
Permission is needed for every new HMO in the city
Planning permission is needed to change a family house (C3) to a small HMO (C4) anywhere in Portsmouth. The Direction (Art 4/HMO/01) was dated 1 November 2010 and came into force on 1 November 2011. A community is treated as "imbalanced" if more than 10% of residential properties within a 50 m radius are already HMOs, or if the application would tip it over 10%. The SPD also sets sandwiching and intensification tests. Policy PCS20 of the Portsmouth Plan (2012) is the parent policy.
Authority Monitoring Report 2024 (2023/24)
- Licensed HMOs on planning map (Jan 2025)2,709
- Unknown/possible HMOs1,649
- Combined4,358
- HMO-related applications determined245
- Permitted201
- Refused17
- Withdrawn16
- Appeals11
- Appeals allowed6
- Appeals withdrawn3
- Appeals dismissed2
201 + 17 + 16 = 234, not 245. Do not publish an approval rate.
Authority Monitoring Report 2024/25 (examination document PCC01)
- Licensed HMOs on planning map (Dec 2025)3,230
- Unknown/possible HMOs1,136
- Combined4,366
- HMO-related applications received69
- Approved41
- Refused12
- Withdrawn5
- Not yet validated11
- Appeals6
41 + 12 + 5 + 11 = 69: these categories reconcile.
Two years, two different counts. 2023/24 AMR counted applications "determined" (245), 2024/25 counts "received" (69): do not draw a trend between them. The planning-map totals are a planning-monitoring estimate and cannot be added to the register or the LAHS estimate.
From the council's May 2025 report
- More than 80 cases referred to Planning Committee since May 2022 where officers advised permission not needed.
- 11 appeals against committee refusals lost since April 2023.
- 13% committee substantive reasons upheld on appeal, past two years.
Council-governance and housing-role evidence. Not: evidence that any individual application should have been approved or refused.
Every qualifying HMO has needed a licence since 1 September 2023
Designation made 22 November 2022, in force 1 September 2023, ceases 31 August 2028 unless revoked earlier. Licences run for 1, 2.5 or 5 years depending on criteria.
Mandatory HMO licence (national)
Any HMO with 5 or more people forming 2 or more households must have a council licence, anywhere in England. Since 1 October 2018 the number of storeys does not matter.
Additional HMO licence (local scheme)
A council can require smaller HMOs to be licensed too, in all or part of its area, for up to 5 years. Portsmouth's citywide scheme runs from 1 September 2023 to 31 August 2028 and covers HMOs of 3 or more people in 2 or more households, plus mainly tenanted section 257 buildings.
Section 257 HMO (converted block of flats)
A building converted into self-contained flats where the conversion did not meet the 1991 Building Regulations and fewer than two-thirds of the flats are owner-occupied. The licence is for the building; individual flats may need their own HMO licence as well.
Licence length on the register, September 2026
| Licence length (from start and end dates) | Records |
|---|---|
| About 5 years | 2,725 |
| About 2.5 years | 249 |
| About 1 year | 126 |
| Other | 7 |
Standards.The only published figure is the council's LAHS return of mandatory-licensable HMOs found with Category 1 hazards: 1 at 31 March 2025. Nothing is published for additional or Section 257 HMOs, or on inspections and licence conditions. Outcome not published
Outcome not published
No public series covers unlicensed HMOs found, notices, civil penalties, prosecutions or rent repayment orders in Portsmouth. Nothing here is zero: it is unknown.
- Suspected unlicensed HMOs reported and investigatedNot published
- Brought into licensing or ceased HMO useNot published
- Improvement and prohibition noticesNot published
- Civil penalties issued, paid, appealedNot published
- Prosecutions and outcomesNot published
- Rent repayment orders supportedNot published
Policy and intervention timeline
Official policy, national law, proposals and political advocacy are labelled separately.
- 1 November 2011
Citywide Article 4 Direction
In forcePlanning permission is needed to change a family house (C3) to a small HMO (C4) anywhere in Portsmouth. The Direction (Art 4/HMO/01) was dated 1 November 2010 and came into force on 1 November 2011.
Portsmouth City Council (local planning authority) · sources: portsmouth.gov.uk, portsmouth.gov.uk
- 1 October 2019
10% within 50 metres concentration test (HMO SPD, amended October 2019)
Current adopted guidanceA community is treated as "imbalanced" if more than 10% of residential properties within a 50 m radius are already HMOs, or if the application would tip it over 10%. The SPD also sets sandwiching and intensification tests. Policy PCS20 of the Portsmouth Plan (2012) is the parent policy.
Portsmouth City Council (local planning authority) · sources: portsmouth.gov.uk
- 1 September 2023 to 31 August 2028
Citywide additional HMO licensing
In force until 31 Aug 2028Designation made 22 November 2022, in force 1 September 2023, ceases 31 August 2028 unless revoked earlier. Licences run for 1, 2.5 or 5 years depending on criteria.
Portsmouth City Council (Private Sector Housing) · sources: portsmouth.gov.uk, portsmouth.gov.uk
- 31 July 2025
MPs' community forum on HMOs (political advocacy)
Political advocacy, not council policyAmanda Martin MP and Stephen Morgan MP hosted a public forum and published a constituent action guide, calling for tighter local controls and stronger national guidance. This is advocacy, not council policy.
Portsmouth North and Portsmouth South MPs · sources: amandamartin.org.uk
- 18 March 2026
Local Plan policy PLP20 (Houses in Multiple Occupation), under examination
Submitted plan under examinationThe new Portsmouth Local Plan was submitted for examination on 18 March 2026. PLP20 moves the SPD's 10% threshold and sandwiching rules into policy. Inspectors' question 9 asks whether the PLP20 criteria are justified by evidence. Hearings start 6 October 2026; Matter 8 (housing policies, including PLP20) is scheduled for 18 November 2026. Not adopted policy.
Portsmouth City Council; independent Planning Inspectors decide soundness · sources: portsmouth.gov.uk, portsmouth.gov.uk, portsmouth.gov.uk
- 1 May 2026
Renters' Rights Act 2025: first phase in force
National law (phased)Tenancy reforms began in phases from 1 May 2026, including longer rent repayment order periods for offences from that date. National law for all private renting; separate from HMO-specific licensing.
UK Government and Parliament; councils enforce · sources: legislation.gov.uk, portsmouth.gov.uk, gov.uk
- 22 June 2026
Licensing platform moved to Metastreet
Operational changeApplications and renewals moved from Rocktime Verso to Metastreet on 22 June 2026. Existing licence records were migrated.
Portsmouth City Council (Private Sector Housing) · sources: portsmouth.gov.uk
Who to contact, and what they can and cannot do
Planning permission and an HMO licence are separate decisions by separate teams. Route a problem by what is happening, not by the type of property.
I rent a room and it is unsafe, overcrowded or in disrepair
Portsmouth City Council, Private Sector Housing team
Important: The council enforces housing and licence standards; tell your landlord in writing first where it is safe to do so.
Go to the right place →What they can and cannot do
Can: Inspect using the Housing Health and Safety Rating System; Enforce HMO licence conditions and space and amenity standards; Serve improvement or prohibition notices; Issue civil penalties of up to £30,000 or prosecute.
Cannot: Settle private disputes such as deposits or compensation; Decide planning questions; Guarantee a timescale (none is published).
Include: Address and which room; Photos with dates; What is wrong and since when; Copies of messages to the landlord or agent; How many people live there.
If that does not work: Council complaints procedure; Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman after the council's process ends.
Also: HMO standards for tenants · Council complaints · LGSCO
Links checked 23 September 2026; review by 22 November 2026.
I think an HMO is unlicensed
Portsmouth City Council, HMO licensing team
Important: Not finding a property on the register may simply mean its application is still being processed.
Go to the right place →What they can and cannot do
Can: Investigate whether a licence is needed; Require an application; Take enforcement action: failing to license is an offence (unlimited fine or civil penalty up to £30,000).
Cannot: Show applications still in progress on the public register; Share details of an investigation with the person who reported it.
Include: Address; Roughly how many people live there and whether they appear to be separate households; How long it has been used this way.
If that does not work: Council complaints procedure; Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman.
Also: Check the register (HMO list)
Links checked 23 September 2026; review by 22 November 2026.
A house may have changed to HMO use without planning permission
Portsmouth City Council, Planning Enforcement
Important: Planning permission and an HMO licence are separate; a licensed HMO can still lack planning permission and vice versa.
Go to the right place →What they can and cannot do
Can: Investigate alleged breaches reported in writing; Seek to control breaches causing significant harm to amenity; Keep the complainant updated through a named case officer.
Cannot: Investigate anonymous complaints (except listed buildings and protected trees); Enforce licence conditions or housing standards.
Include: Your full name, address, email and phone (required); Address of the property; What changed and when; Any evidence of occupation, such as numbers of residents.
If that does not work: Council complaints procedure; Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman.
Links checked 23 September 2026; review by 22 November 2026.
I want to comment on a proposed HMO
Portsmouth City Council, Planning Service (decided by officers or Planning Committee)
Important: Comments must address material planning considerations.
Go to the right place →What they can and cannot do
Can: Take comments into account where they raise material planning considerations; Apply the 10%/50 m concentration, sandwiching and living-standard tests.
Cannot: Refuse on grounds that are not material planning considerations (for example who the tenants will be); Offer neighbours a right of appeal: only the applicant can appeal a decision.
Include: Application reference; Planning reasons: concentration of HMOs nearby, amenity, parking, waste storage, living space.
If that does not work: Ask your ward councillor about the application; Comment on any appeal to the Planning Inspectorate.
Also: Who can appeal a planning decision (GOV.UK)
Links checked 23 September 2026; review by 22 November 2026.
Waste is not being managed
Portsmouth City Council waste and street-cleansing services; HMO team where licence conditions apply
Important: Do not send every waste complaint to Planning.
Go to the right place →What they can and cannot do
Can: Deal with fly-tipping and litter; Remove or replace bins left on the pavement; Hold landlords to their waste responsibilities and licence conditions.
Cannot: Planning cannot deal with day-to-day waste problems.
Include: Location; Dates and photos; Whether it is a one-off or repeated.
If that does not work: HMO licensing team if the problem is repeated at a licensed HMO; Council complaints procedure.
Also: Landlord waste responsibilities
Links checked 23 September 2026; review by 22 November 2026.
Noise or antisocial behaviour is happening now
Portsmouth City Council noise and nuisance / antisocial behaviour team; Hampshire and Isle of Wight Constabulary for crime or danger
Important: Route by incident, not by property label.
Go to the right place →What they can and cannot do
Can: Council: investigate statutory noise nuisance and ASB; Police: respond to crime and danger (999 in an emergency).
Cannot: Treat a property differently just because it is an HMO.
Include: Dates, times and duration; Recordings or a diary; How it affects you.
If that does not work: HMO licensing team if the landlord is not managing the property; Council complaints procedure; Your ward councillor.
Also: Report to the police
Links checked 23 September 2026; review by 22 November 2026.
I am a landlord or agent
Portsmouth City Council: Planning Service and Private Sector Housing (two separate decisions)
Important: Passing one does not satisfy the other; lack of planning status leads to a one-year licence.
Go to the right place →What they can and cannot do
Can: Planning: grant or refuse permission for C4 or sui generis use; Licensing: grant a licence for 1, 2.5 or 5 years with conditions, or refuse.
Cannot: Treat a licence as planning permission, or permission as a licence.
Include: Planning permission, certificate of lawful use or evidence of historic HMO use; Floor plan, fire risk assessment and safety certificates for the licence.
If that does not work: Planning appeal to the Planning Inspectorate; Licensing decisions and conditions can be appealed to the First-tier Tribunal.
Also: HMO licensing for landlords
Links checked 23 September 2026; review by 22 November 2026.
I want the law or national guidance changed
Your MP (Portsmouth North or Portsmouth South)
Important: MPs do not decide individual licences or planning applications.
Go to the right place →What they can and cannot do
Can: Raise the issue with ministers; Ask questions and speak in Parliament; Vote on legislation.
Cannot: Decide individual licences or planning applications; Direct council officers.
Include: What law or guidance you want changed and why; Your postcode (MPs act for their own constituents).
If that does not work: Respond to government consultations.
Links checked 23 September 2026; review by 22 November 2026.
I want a council policy or local performance challenged
Ward councillors, the relevant Cabinet member and scrutiny panels
Important: Check the meetings calendar for the relevant committee date.
Go to the right place →What they can and cannot do
Can: Raise casework with officers; Question the Cabinet member; Ask a scrutiny panel to examine HMO licensing or planning performance.
Cannot: Overturn a lawful licensing or planning decision on their own.
Include: The specific policy or performance issue; Any figures you rely on, with their source.
If that does not work: Petition the council; Council complaints procedure; Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman (for service failure).
Also: Meetings calendar · Petitions
Links checked 23 September 2026; review by 22 November 2026.
I may be entitled to a rent repayment order
First-tier Tribunal (Property Chamber) decides; the council can advise and may apply itself
Important: Do not promise eligibility or an outcome.
Go to the right place →What they can and cannot do
Can: Tribunal: order a landlord to repay rent for certain offences, including running an unlicensed HMO (up to two years' rent for offences from 1 May 2026).
Cannot: Stat Pack cannot say whether you are eligible or what you would get; Older offences follow the earlier rules (up to one year's rent, apply within one year).
Include: Tenancy agreement; Proof of rent paid; Dates you lived there; Evidence the property was unlicensed during that time.
If that does not work: Ask the Private Sector Housing team whether the property was licensed; Get independent advice before applying.
Also: First-tier Tribunal (Property Chamber) · Private Sector Housing team
Links checked 23 September 2026; review by 22 November 2026.
The public data gap
What the council does not yet publish in a form anyone can check. Each gap is a request, not a zero.
Licensing coverage
Partly publishedApplications received, valid, pending, withdrawn, refused, issued; Split by mandatory, additional and Section 257; 1, 2.5 and 5-year licences issued; Median application-to-decision time; Estimated licensable stock and method; Expired licences, renewals due, temporary exemptions.
What exists: The register shows issued licences only, with start and end dates (so licence length can be derived); LAHS gives an annual mandatory estimate and count.
Held by: Portsmouth City Council, Private Sector Housing (HMO licensing team). Request: Monthly anonymised CSV of licensing pipeline and outcomes.
Standards and inspections
Partly publishedProperties inspected and desktop-assessed; Category 1 and 2 hazards found and remedied; Fire, electrical, amenity, overcrowding and waste failures; Follow-up completion and time to compliance; Landlord accreditation.
What exists: LAHS f11a reports mandatory-licensable HMOs found with Category 1 hazards (Portsmouth 2024/25: 1). Nothing covers additional or Section 257 HMOs.
Held by: Portsmouth City Council, Private Sector Housing (HMO licensing team). Request: Quarterly inspection and hazard outcomes by licence category, ward-level with small-number suppression.
Enforcement
Not publishedSuspected unlicensed HMOs reported and investigated; Brought into licensing or ceased HMO use; Improvement and prohibition notices; Civil penalties issued, paid, appealed; Prosecutions and outcomes; Rent repayment orders supported.
Held by: Portsmouth City Council, Private Sector Housing (HMO licensing team). Request: Quarterly enforcement counts; individual prosecutions already appear in council press releases but no series exists.
Resident experience
Not publishedJustified complaints per 100 licensed properties; Complaint category and ward; Tenant and neighbour satisfaction; Repeat complaints and resolution time.
What exists: Last public analysis: 2019 SPD Appendix 5 (data period not stated).
Held by: Portsmouth City Council, Private Sector Housing and Environmental Health. Request: Repeat the 2019 complaint analysis and publish annually.
Planning
Partly publishedApplications by type, decision and ward; Concentration-test result; Committee or delegated decision; Appeals, costs and outcomes; Planning/licensing reconciliation by aggregate.
What exists: Annual AMR gives city totals and an appeals table (PDF). The register carries planning fields, but 2,581 of 3,125 rows have no planning reference, which does not prove the absence of permission.
Held by: Portsmouth City Council, Planning Service. Request: Machine-readable annual HMO planning decisions by ward and outcome.
Housing role
Partly publishedPeople placed in HMO rooms via homelessness prevention/relief; Moves from temporary accommodation; Sustainment at 6 and 12 months; Cost-avoided method; Shared-room Local Housing Allowance and median advertised room rent.
What exists: One-off 2024-25 figures in the May 2025 report (over 250; 95 from TA).
Held by: Portsmouth City Council, Housing Options; DWP/VOA for LHA. Request: Annual housing-role figures with method.
A pressure and an opportunity
Shared housing is heavily concentrated and its outcomes are not transparent
69.7% of the September 2026 combined HMO register is in Charles Dickens, Central Southsea and St Thomas. Census 2021 put Portsmouth's HMO share at three times England. The council does not publish a current machine-readable series for inspections, hazards remedied, complaints or enforcement outcomes.
The register grew in coverage after citywide additional licensing, so rising licensed numbers do not measure worsening stock. Current outcome data is missing.
Use citywide licensing to prove safer homes before the 2028 renewal decision
Every qualifying HMO has needed a licence since September 2023. A UPRN-based register and the June 2026 move to a new licensing platform create the basis for a public standards and enforcement dashboard.
The scheme ends on 31 August 2028; any renewal needs evidence of what it achieved.
Data version: Portsmouth register c56e8282b357 · ONS RM192 e3e5b7fcb885 · LAHS 6b5f0105d344 (first 12 characters of each source file's SHA-256).