HouseFile
Licensing in Bristol

Selective licensing · Bristol City Council

Bristol City Council Selective Licensing Designation 2024: Bishopston and Ashley Down, Cotham and Easton wards (council page name: Selective licensing scheme: Bishopston and Ashley Down, Cotham, and Easton)

Status
In force
Runs
6 August 2024 to 5 August 2029
Designated
6 February 2024
Fee
£912 for a five-year licence: £467 when you apply and £445 before the licence is issued. The second payment drops by £150 if you're an accredited member of Rent with Confidence, and by another £150 if you send a satisfactory gas safety record, electrical report and EPC before the licence is issued. If the council finds the home unlicensed it adds £140 and no discounts apply. Registered charities that run the property pay no fee but still need a licence.
Applies to
Privately rented homes in Bishopston and Ashley Down, Cotham and Easton wards let to one or two people or a family. HMOs that need a mandatory or additional licence are licensed under those schemes instead. If you've had a selective licence in Easton before, you need a new one under this scheme.

Our records last verified 18 October 2026 · council designation page · licence conditions

Area covered

The designation covers these wards, as they were drawn when the scheme was made:

  • Bishopston and Ashley Down
  • Cotham
  • Easton

Bristol City Council also runs its own address-level lookup: check whether a specific address falls inside the scheme.

What this means for landlords

Selective licensing applies to privately rented homes of any size in the designated area, including single lets. Letting an unlicensed property inside the area can mean a civil penalty of up to £40,000 and a rent repayment order of up to 24 months’ rent.

Is your property inside the scheme area?

This checker reflects HouseFile’s records of council licensing designations, not the councils’ live registers. Our records indicate the position at the verification date shown on each result. Schemes are designated, renewed and revoked throughout the year, and postcode-level lookups are approximate near scheme boundaries. Always confirm with the council before letting or buying a property, using the source link on each card. This is general information, not legal advice.

If you hold a licence here, HouseFile can track its renewal date

Keep the licence with the rest of the property's certificates, and HouseFile will remind you before each one is due. It also records when your tenants open the documents you share.
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