Council licensing report
Bristol, City of runs at least one local property licensing scheme. Some rules apply to the whole council. Others apply only to listed streets, wards, or mapped areas, so the postcode alone does not always give a yes-or-no answer.
Status
Enter the postcode to confirm the council, then pick the address. If a scheme uses a street list, we check the selected street against it and give a direct yes or no.
Selective licensing · active · Listed wards · 6 Apr 2022 to 5 Apr 2027
Bristol selective licensing applies in Bedminster and Brislington West wards from 6 April 2022 to 5 April 2027.
Bedminster, Brislington West.
Selective licensing · active · Listed wards · 6 Aug 2024 to 5 Aug 2029
Bristol selective licensing applies in Bishopston and Ashley Down, Cotham and Easton wards from 6 August 2024 to 5 August 2029, excluding HMOs already covered by mandatory licensing or the citywide additional licensing scheme.
Bishopston and Ashley Down, Cotham, Easton.
Additional HMO licensing · active · Listed wards · 6 Apr 2022 to 5 Apr 2027
Bristol additional HMO licensing applies in Bedminster, Brislington West and Horfield wards from 6 April 2022 to 5 April 2027.
Bedminster, Brislington West, Horfield.
Additional HMO licensing · active · Whole council area · 6 Aug 2024 to 5 Aug 2029
Bristol citywide additional HMO licensing applies from 6 August 2024 to 5 August 2029, excluding HMOs already covered by mandatory licensing or the earlier 2022 additional licensing scheme.
A property licensing scheme is not the same everywhere. A council can designate the whole borough, a handful of wards, a list of streets, or a boundary drawn on a map. Whichever option Bristol, City of chose changes how confident you can be from the postcode alone.
This scheme covers 2 named wards. The postcode confirms the council, but the address has to fall inside one of those wards before the licence applies.
This scheme covers 3 named wards. The postcode confirms the council, but the address has to fall inside one of those wards before the licence applies.
This scheme covers 3 named wards. The postcode confirms the council, but the address has to fall inside one of those wards before the licence applies.
This scheme covers the whole of Bristol, City of. Every privately rented property inside the council boundary is in scope.
The right licence depends on who lives in the property, how the household is structured, and where the property sits in the council area. These are the situations we see most often, with what Bristol, City of's current rules say about each.
One adult renting a self-contained flat or a studio with their own kitchen and bathroom.
May need a selective licence if the address sits inside Bristol, City of's designated scheme area.
Two people from one household renting an entire house on one tenancy.
May need a selective licence if the address sits inside Bristol, City of's designated scheme area.
Parents and dependent children from one household renting an entire house.
May need a selective licence if the address sits inside Bristol, City of's designated scheme area.
Three friends or three unrelated tenants on a joint tenancy, sharing a kitchen and bathroom.
Needs an additional HMO licence if the address is inside Bristol, City of's scheme area. Mandatory HMO licensing only kicks in at five or more occupiers, so this property is not in scope of the national rule.
Four unrelated tenants sharing a kitchen and bathroom.
Needs an additional HMO licence if the address is inside Bristol, City of's scheme area. Mandatory HMO licensing only kicks in at five or more occupiers, so this property is not in scope of the national rule.
Five or more unrelated tenants sharing a kitchen and bathroom.
Needs a mandatory HMO licence anywhere in England. The five-or-more, two-or-more-households test is national, not council-specific. Bristol, City of's additional HMO scheme can add conditions on top inside the designated area.
Owner-occupier letting a room to one or two lodgers in their own home.
Letting to a lodger while you live in the property is exempt from HMO licensing in most cases. Selective licensing exemptions also normally cover owner-occupier lets.
Five students from at least two households sharing a converted house.
Needs a mandatory HMO licence anywhere in England. The five-or-more, two-or-more-households test is national, not council-specific. Bristol, City of's additional HMO scheme can add conditions on top inside the designated area.
The earliest scheme end date is 5 Apr 2027 (11 months away). If Bristol, City of redesignates, every existing licence has to be re-applied for under the new scheme. Fees and conditions usually change between cycles.
A property licence does not transfer when a property changes hands. If you buy a let property that needs a licence under Bristol, City of's rules, the existing licence ends and you need to apply for a new one in your own name. The seller's solicitor should disclose any existing licence and any open enforcement notices.
For conveyancing in Bristol, City of, ask three things before exchange. First, is the property inside any current selective or additional HMO scheme area. Second, is there an active licence in the seller's name and on what conditions. Third, has the council issued a civil penalty, banning order or rent repayment order against the seller in the last six years.
Owner-occupiers buying to live in the property do not need a licence. The rules only apply when a property is rented out.
Anything on this page that you cannot find an answer to, the council's licensing team can confirm in minutes.
Email the licensing team
[email protected]
Phone the licensing team
0117 352 5010
Apply for a licence
Application form on Bristol, City of's website
Public licence register
Search licensed properties in Bristol, City of
Official licensing page
Bristol, City of council guidance
Council postcode checker
Bristol, City of's own street or postcode lookup