Selective licensing · Wirral Council
Wirral Council designation of areas for Selective Licensing, 1 April 2024 to 31 March 2029 (council name: Scheme 4, part of the 2024 to 2029 scheme)
- Status
- In force
- Runs
- 1 April 2024 to 31 March 2029
- Designated
- 6 December 2023
- Fee
- £585 per property. There's £100 off for an accredited property or landlord (Wirral's own property accreditation, the NRLA, the Guild of Residential Landlords, ARLA or NALS), £150 off for an EPC of C or above, £100 off if you apply within three months of buying a property in the area, and £25 off each property after the first. Paying in instalments costs £50 more and a paper application £100 more.
- Applies to
- Every privately rented home in four small areas of Birkenhead and Wallasey: Birkenhead West, Bidston & St James West, Egremont North and Seacombe St Paul's. Smaller shared houses that don't need a mandatory HMO licence are included. Paterson Street and the even numbers of Park Close, in Birkenhead West, come under Scheme 4A instead, on the same terms from 1 July 2024. Each area follows an official statistical boundary, so the council's address lists are only a guide. Exemptions include HMOs that need a mandatory licence and business lets such as tied accommodation.
Our records last verified 18 October 2026 · council designation page · licence conditions
Area covered
The designation covers a defined area of Wirral 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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