Council licensing report
Burnley 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.
We use the selected street to check loaded street-list schemes.
Selective licensing · active · Mapped boundary · 21 Jul 2022 to 20 Jul 2027
Burnley selective licensing applies in Burnley Wood with Healey Wood and Leyland Road from 21 July 2022 to 20 July 2027.
Selective licensing · active · Mapped boundary · 27 Apr 2025 to 26 Apr 2030
Burnley's 2025 selective licensing designations apply in Trinity, Gannow, Queensgate, Daneshouse and Stoneyholme, and Padiham.
Selective licensing · proposed · Named areas
Burnley consulted from 3 August to 18 October 2026 on replacement selective licensing schemes for Burnley Wood with Healey Wood and Leyland Road, and a new scheme for Lyndhurst Road.
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 Burnley chose changes how confident you can be from the postcode alone.
This scheme covers a boundary drawn on the council's published map. The postcode is not enough on its own; the property has to fall inside the boundary.
This scheme covers a boundary drawn on the council's published map. The postcode is not enough on its own; the property has to fall inside the boundary.
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 Burnley'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 Burnley'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 Burnley'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 Burnley's designated scheme area.
Three friends or three unrelated tenants on a joint tenancy, sharing a kitchen and bathroom.
Selective licensing can still catch a small HMO if the property sits inside Burnley's scheme area. Confirm with the council before letting.
Four unrelated tenants sharing a kitchen and bathroom.
Selective licensing can still catch a small HMO if the property sits inside Burnley's scheme area. Confirm with the council before letting.
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. An additional HMO licence is not also required.
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. An additional HMO licence is not also required.
The earliest scheme end date is 20 Jul 2027 (8 months away). If Burnley 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 Burnley'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 Burnley, 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.
Selective licensing · Closed, under review
Burnley consulted from 3 August to 18 October 2026 on replacement selective licensing schemes for Burnley Wood with Healey Wood and Leyland Road, which end on 20 July 2027, and a new Lyndhurst Road area. Burnley says every response goes in a consultation report to its Executive Committee.
Additional HMO licensing · Under consideration
Burnley's Executive will decide on 25 November 2026 whether to approve a consultation of at least 10 weeks on a borough-wide additional HMO licensing scheme, aimed at smaller HMOs with three or four people in two or more households. The proposed fee is £1,525.33 for a first application (£800 on application, £725.33 on grant). Burnley has no additional HMO licensing scheme today, and no start date has been set.
Decision expected: 25 Nov 2026
Anything on this page that you cannot find an answer to, the council's licensing team can confirm in minutes.