Selective licensing · Preston City Council
Preston City Council proposed Selective Licensing scheme in City Centre, St Matthew's and Plungington (2026 consultation; council document title: Selective Licensing Consultation on proposals for a Selective Licensing scheme in City Centre, St Matthew's and Plungington)
- Status
- Proposed
- Fee
- Proposed: £1,050 per property for a licence of up to five years, paid in two parts: £470 when you apply and £580 once the council is minded to grant the licence. No discount was proposed, but the council asked whether landlords who can show good practice, such as membership of a landlord body or accreditation, should get one.
- Applies to
- Proposed: every privately rented home in City Centre, St Matthew's and Plungington wards, including 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, would be left out. The scheme would run for five years. The consultation ran from 27 July to 11 October 2026 and has closed. The council will publish a report on the responses before it decides whether to go ahead, and it has not set a date for that decision.
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:
- City Centre
- Plungington
- St Matthew's
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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