Landlord licensing

Landlord licensing by council

Selective and additional HMO licensing in the 21 councils our records cover: the areas each scheme covers, when it runs, and the council's own source for it.

Check a property's postcode

A postcode check is approximate near a scheme's edge.

London boroughs

Outside London

Three kinds of licensing

Mandatory HMO licensing applies across England, whatever a council runs. A shared house needs a licence where five or more people from two or more households live there and share facilities.

Councils can add two schemes of their own. Additional HMO licensing brings smaller shared houses in. Selective licensing covers every privately rented home in a designated area, single lets included, unless it needs an HMO licence instead. Either can last up to five years, and a renewal can redraw the area.

If your council isn't listed, our records don't cover it yet. Its website will say whether it runs a scheme, usually on a page about property licensing.

These pages reflect HouseFile’s records of council licensing designations, not the councils’ live registers. Our records indicate the position at the verification date shown on each scheme. Schemes are designated, renewed and revoked throughout the year. Always confirm with the council before letting or buying a property, using the source link on each scheme. This is general information, not legal advice.

HouseFile tracks your licence alongside your certificates

Every property gets its own file, with the licence expiry date next to your certificates and a reminder before any certificate expires. When you share documents with your tenant, you'll see when they open each one.

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