Selective licensing in 2026: how to check if your postcode is in a scheme

Hundreds of English councils run selective, additional or mandatory HMO licensing schemes. Here is how to check before you let and avoid up to £30,000 in penalties.

Selective licensing: don't let without checking

Letting a property in a designated selective licensing area without a licence is a civil offence carrying a penalty of up to £30,000 per property, plus the risk of a Rent Repayment Order for up to 24 months of rent.

There are three regimes you need to know about:

1. Mandatory HMO licence — 5+ unrelated occupants forming 2+ households 2. Additional HMO licence — council-designated, often 3-4 occupants 3. Selective licence — covers single-family lets in a designated area

How to check a postcode

1. Find the local authority for the postcode (use the LetSentry Postcode Licensing Helper or postcodes.io) 2. Open the council's licensing pages — the URL is on the postcode lookup result 3. Look for 'selective licensing', 'additional HMO licensing' and the designation map 4. Check whether the property address falls inside the designated area 5. Check the start and end date of the scheme — many run 5 years

This is reference information. Schemes change. Always confirm directly with the council before letting.

What licensing actually requires

• Fit and proper person declaration
• Gas Safety, EICR, EPC on file
• Smoke and CO alarms tested
• HMO-specific fire safety (where applicable)
• Tenancy management arrangements documented

After 1 May 2026

The new Private Rented Sector Database registration sits alongside local licensing — it does not replace it. You need both where both apply.

What LetSentry does

The Postcode Licensing Helper identifies the council, links to their licensing pages and flags HMO postcode checks. The PRS Database readiness checklist tracks the parallel national registration.

This article is general information, not legal advice.