Is your postcode in a council licensing zone?

Does my rental property need a licence?

In England a rented home can need a licence under up to three schemes: mandatory HMO licensing (five or more people forming two or more households), additional HMO licensing (smaller HMOs, where the council has designated an area), and selective licensing (any privately rented home in a designated area). Whether the last two apply depends entirely on the council and the street. This check finds the schemes that cover a postcode.

What this tool checks

• Whether the postcode falls inside a council's selective or additional licensing designation
• When each scheme started and when it is next due for renewal
• A representative licence fee and the statutory basis of the scheme
• Which council runs it, with a link to its application portal and the date we last verified the record

Where it applies

England. Licensing is set by the Housing Act 2004 and designated council by council. Wales runs its own licensing alongside Rent Smart Wales registration, and Scotland and Northern Ireland have separate landlord registration and HMO regimes.

How it works

Enter a postcode. The check resolves the local authority and compares the location with the licensing designations we hold for that council. Mandatory HMO licensing applies everywhere in England and depends on the property, not the postcode, so it is described rather than looked up.

What it can’t tell you

• Councils create, extend and end schemes regularly. Always confirm with the council before relying on a result — its register is the authority.
• It does not assess whether a particular house is an HMO; that turns on who lives there and how.

Sources

• House in multiple occupation licence (GOV.UK)
• Selective licensing: a guide for local authorities (GOV.UK)
• Housing Act 2004, Parts 2 and 3 (legislation.gov.uk)

General information, not legal or tax advice. Checked against the sources above in September 2026.