Additional HMO licensing · Sefton Council
Sefton Council Designation of an Area for Additional Licensing of Houses in Multiple Occupation 2023 (two areas: central Southport, and parts of Seaforth, Waterloo and Brighton-le-Sands; council page name: Additional (HMO) Licensing 2023 - 2028)
- Status
- In force
- Runs
- 1 March 2023 to 28 February 2028
- Designated
- 18 October 2022
- Fee
- £950 per HMO: £250 when you apply and the rest when the draft licence is issued. With accreditation it's £800. If an accredited managing agent holds the licence, it's £750. Each extra flat or bedsit in the same building under the same licence holder adds £30.
- Applies to
- HMOs in central Southport and in parts of Seaforth, Waterloo and Brighton-le-Sands that don't need a mandatory licence, usually homes let to three or four people from two or more households who share facilities, whatever the number of storeys. Also converted blocks of flats (section 257 HMOs) that don't meet the building regulations that applied to the conversion, where more than a third of the flats are let on short tenancies. Exempt: HMOs run by the council, a housing association, the police, fire service or NHS, some student halls, religious communities, an owner's home with up to two lodgers, homes shared by just two people, buildings regulated under other laws such as care homes, and HMOs under a management order or with a temporary exemption. Check the council's maps and street lists for your street.
Our records last verified 18 October 2026 · council designation page · licence conditions
Area covered
The scheme’s area lies within these wards: Birkdale, Blundellsands, Bootle West, Cambridge, Duke's, Kew, Waterloo. The council publishes the exact area as a map or a street list, so check your address against it.
What this means for landlords
Additional HMO licensing extends licensing to shared homes below the national 5-person mandatory threshold. If your property in this area houses unrelated sharers, check the scheme’s occupancy criteria. Running a licensable HMO without a licence carries the same penalties as any licensing offence: 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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