Selective licensing · Halton Borough Council
Halton Borough Council Proposed Selective Licensing Scheme (2026 consultation: Central and West Bank, Appleton, Mersey and Weston and Bridgewater wards and LSOA E01012379 in Highfield)
- Status
- Proposed
- Fee
- Proposed: £685 per property for a licence of up to five years, paid in two parts: £310 when you apply and £375 once the council has decided to grant the licence. Accredited members of the NRLA who send proof with a complete application would pay £100 less, £585 in all.
- Applies to
- Proposed: most privately rented homes in Central and West Bank, Appleton, Mersey and Weston and Bridgewater wards and in one small area of Highfield ward (LSOA E01012379), an estimated 3,485 privately rented households. It would cover homes let to one household or two unrelated sharers and smaller HMOs that don't need a mandatory HMO licence. HMOs that need a mandatory licence, and homes exempt by law such as social housing and holiday lets, would be left out. The consultation ran from 3 August to 18 October 2026. The council will publish a report on the responses and then decide whether to go ahead; it has said it plans to start the scheme in April 2027 if it is approved.
Our records last verified 18 October 2026 · council designation page · licence conditions
Area covered
The designation covers a defined area of Halton Borough Council. Check your exact address with the checker below and against the map on the council’s designation page, because scheme boundaries are drawn street by street.
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.
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