LandlordProperty licensing checker
Every rented HMO for 5 or more people needs a licence. Many councils go further, with additional licensing for smaller HMOs or selective licensing for every privately rented home in an area. Pick a council or enter a postcode to see which schemes apply.
Which licensing schemes apply?
Covers all 75 councils in the West Midlands and East of England, the first two regions to register on the PRS database.
The council list works entirely in your browser. A postcode is sent to postcodes.io (a free public lookup) to find its council, and nothing is stored. Northern Ireland postcodes are never looked up.
Council lookup by postcodes.io using ONS Postcode Directory data. Source: Office for National Statistics licensed under the Open Government Licence v.3.0. Contains OS data © Crown copyright and database right 2026. Contains Royal Mail data © Royal Mail copyright and database right 2026.
Checked on 2 October 2026 against each council's own website. Ward- and street-level schemes need checking on the council's map or address checker, because a postcode can straddle a boundary.
The three kinds of licence
| Licence | Who needs one | Where |
|---|---|---|
| Mandatory HMO | A property rented to 5 or more people who form more than 1 household, where some or all share a toilet, bathroom or kitchen, and at least 1 tenant pays rent | Everywhere in England |
| Additional HMO | Smaller HMOs the mandatory rule misses, usually 3 or 4 people from 2 or more households sharing facilities, and some converted blocks of flats | Only where a council has designated an area |
| Selective | Almost every privately rented home in the area, HMO or not | Only where a council has designated an area |
The mandatory rule is GOV.UK's: you must have a licence if the property is rented to 5 or more people who form more than 1 household, some or all of them share toilet, bathroom or kitchen facilities, and at least 1 tenant pays rent (or their employer pays it). A licence lasts up to 5 years. GOV.UK gives a family as an example of one household.
Councils with additional or selective licensing
13 of the 75 councils we checked run, or have approved, at least one scheme. Every other council in the two regions showed mandatory HMO licensing only when we checked, which you should still confirm with the council.
| Council | Region | Schemes (official pages) |
|---|---|---|
| Birmingham | West Midlands | Additional HMO Selective |
| Coventry | West Midlands | Additional HMO |
| East Staffordshire | West Midlands | Selective Selective (from 1 January 2027) |
| Sandwell | West Midlands | Additional HMO |
| Walsall | West Midlands | Additional HMO |
| Warwick | West Midlands | Additional HMO |
| Worcester | West Midlands | Additional HMO |
| Bedford | East of England | Additional HMO |
| Great Yarmouth | East of England | Selective |
| Luton | East of England | Additional HMO Selective |
| Peterborough | East of England | Additional HMO Selective |
| Southend-on-Sea | East of England | Selective |
| Thurrock | East of England | Additional HMO Selective |
How to use the answer
- Whole-district schemes are simple: if the property is in that council's area and the scheme covers it, you need the licence.
- Ward- or street-level schemes need the exact address. Use the council's map or address checker, because ward boundaries and postcodes don't line up.
- Exemptions exist, for example homes let by housing associations and some student accommodation. The council's page lists them.
- Each property needs its own licence, and a licence lasts up to 5 years. Note its expiry in your compliance calendar.
- The PRS database asks for licence numbers. Landlords in the West Midlands must register by 14 March 2027, and in the East of England by 14 April 2027. Registration guide
If you let without the right licence
Letting an unlicensed HMO can mean an unlimited fine on prosecution or a council civil penalty instead, and tenants or the council can apply for a Rent Repayment Order. Councils' own pages describe the same consequences for selective licensing. More on HMO licensing
Something out of date?
Councils change schemes, and a new one needs a consultation first, so the list can lag behind. If you spot a scheme we've missed or got wrong, email [email protected] with a link to the council's page and we'll correct it.
All three deadlines in one spreadsheet
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Sources: each council's own licensing page, linked above and in each result; GOV.UK House in multiple occupation licence; GOV.UK Selective licensing in the private rented sector: a guide for local authorities; GOV.UK Licensing of houses in multiple occupation in England: a guide for landlords and managers. Checked on 2 October 2026. Not legal advice.
General information, not legal or tax advice. Checked against GOV.UK on 30 September 2026. Rules change — always confirm on GOV.UK.