HMOs in Portsmouth: high, concentrated and hard to count with one number

This is the frozen version from data snapshot c146b9e51d83. See the latest version.

Preview

Portsmouth had 3,107 records in licensed HMO categories in September 2026. 69.7% of the combined register was in Charles Dickens, Central Southsea and St Thomas. Census 2021 identified HMOs at 2.12% of Portsmouth dwellings, compared with 2.35% in Southampton, 0.70% in England and 0.25% in the Hampshire County Council area. Licence coverage expanded in September 2023, so licence counts are not a continuous measure of HMO stock.

Share link

https://pompey.uk-statpack.co.uk/share/portsmouth-hmos/

This exact version, which will never change: https://pompey.uk-statpack.co.uk/share/portsmouth-hmos/v/c146b9e51d83/

Plain-text summary

HMOs in Portsmouth: 3,107 licensed-category records on the council's combined register, September 2026; 69.7% of the combined register is in three wards. Census 2021 HMO share of dwellings: Southampton 2.35% | Portsmouth 2.12% | England 0.70% | Hampshire CC area 0.25%. Important: citywide licensing expanded in September 2023, so licence counts before and after are not a like-for-like stock trend.

Image description (alt text)

Portsmouth had 3,107 records in licensed HMO categories in September 2026. 69.7% of the combined register was in Charles Dickens, Central Southsea and St Thomas. Census 2021 identified HMOs at 2.12% of Portsmouth dwellings, compared with 2.35% in Southampton, 0.70% in England and 0.25% in the Hampshire County Council area. Licence coverage expanded in September 2023, so licence counts are not a continuous measure of HMO stock.

Where this comes from

Portsmouth City Council combined HMO register; ONS Census 2021 RM192. Checked 23 September 2026. Data snapshot c146b9e51d83 from UK Stat Pack 257bc9d.

See the full evidence