Apply for a Temporary Exemption Notice
Online applications unavailable in January
The property licence application portal will be unavailable from 16 to 29 January 2026. This is due to scheduled maintenance.
During this time, you will not be able to apply for a new licence online. Details about an alternative way to apply will be confirmed soon.
If you rent out a property which requires a HMO licence but you intend to make the property one which will no longer require a licence, you must apply for a Temporary Exemption Notice.
When a notice is needed
You must apply for a notice if you are taking active steps to ensure the property does not require a mandatory licence. For example, reducing the number of tenants to less than five people or removing all tenants and allowing a single family to occupy the property.
If your property requires a mandatory licence, you cannot legally serve a section 21 notice for possession without a temporary exemption notice.
Length of notice
A Temporary Exemption Notice lasts for three months and after expiry, you can apply for one further notice lasting for a further three months.
After this time, if the property still requires a licence, you must submit a HMO licence application without delay.
What we need from you
You need to apply for a Temporary Exemption Notice on the Regulatory Services Hub application portal. You will need to register and log in.
We will need the following details from you:
- Details of owner
- Reason for application
- Details of application
