Selective Licensing Scheme

You can apply for a property licence if you are:

• the property owner
• the manager employed by the owner
• the person in receipt of the rent

Applications can be made by completing our online form. Please ensure you read the information on the Selective Licensing scheme pages before applying.

Once you have applied, you will receive a reference number for your application. You will then be able to log in to:

• part complete
• fully complete
• add documents
• review the progress of your application at any time

You will be able to make payment A at the time of submitting the application. The Council will then automatically process the part B payment. This will then enable the Property Licence to be issued as quickly as possible.

Application fee

The full licence fee is £808 payable in two parts.

1. Part A - £203.
2. Part B - £605.

A licence is valid for five years from the date that it is issued. We may issue a licence for a shorter period if:

• there are any additional conditions
• there are concerns about the management arrangements or standards

What is required to apply for a Selective Licence?

Before applying for a licence, you will need the following information to complete your application:

• details of the licence holder. This includes
  • name
  • address
  • date of birth
• name and addresses of all people and organisations with an interest in the property, such as:
  • freeholders
  • leaseholders
  • managing agents
  • mortgage provider
• details about the property structure
• location of smoke and carbon monoxide detectors
• room sizes in square metres
• documents
• valid gas safety certificate (GSC)
• valid electrical inspection condition report (EICR)
• valid Energy Performance Certificate (EPC)
• floorplan, showing room layout and dimensions (does not have to be to scale)
• payment card details

Proposed licence holder

The licence holder should have the power to:

• let and terminate tenancies
• access all parts of the premises (same as the owner)
• authorise repairs or maintenance

If the property is managed by someone other than the licence holder, such as a letting or managing agent, the licence holder should make sure:

• the agent is fully aware and compliant with the licence conditions
• there are satisfactory management arrangements and a signed declaration in place
• the agent is a member of a redress scheme

Non-UK applicants

Applications for a property licence from a non-UK resident will only be considered valid if:

• there is a managing agent based in the UK

The managing agent must agree to the conditions and obligations imposed in the conditions by signing a declaration.

A copy of the contract between the owner and the agent must be provided. This must include a declaration that the agent is fully aware and compliant with the licence conditions. They must also confirm there are satisfactory management arrangements in place.

Limited company application

Applications from a limited company need to provide:

• a full company name
• a registered address
• a registration number
• a name of the person who can be contacted about the licence

Applications will only be accepted from companies with a UK registered office.

Fit and proper person checks

For a landlord, letting or management agent to be given a private rented property licence, they will need to prove they are a fit and proper person. This will include a declaration about any criminal offences. This will be found in the online application.

Failure to meet the fit and proper person test may result in an application for a licence being refused.

In deciding whether someone is fit and proper, we must consider:

• any offences involving:
  • fraud or other dishonesty
  • violence
  • drugs
  • any offence listed in Schedule 3 of the Sexual Offences Act 2003
• any unlawful discrimination on grounds of:
  • sex
  • colour
  • race
  • ethnic or national origins
  • disability
• any contravention of the law relating to housing or landlord and tenant law
• whether the person has a banning order in force under section 16 of the Housing and Planning Act 2016
• if any person involved in the management of the property has a sufficient level of competence to be involved

We may also decide a person is not fit and proper due to association with other people not considered so. Instances in where this would affect the management of a licensed property is taken into consideration. The proposed licence holder and managing agent, if applicable, must also be able to prove that the following are in place for the property:

• satisfactory management and
• satisfactory financial arrangements