East Staffordshire licensing/Selective licensing

Selective licensing in East Staffordshire

Active in East Staffordshire

Selective licensing applies to most private rented homes inside a designated area. East Staffordshire has at least one active selective scheme. The detail below is built from the council's own pages.

What selective licensing actually means

A council can designate any part of its area for selective licensing under Part 3 of the Housing Act 2004. Inside the designated area, almost every privately rented home needs a licence, whether the property is a single-family let, a small flat, or a house shared by a couple.

Selective licensing is not about HMOs. The rule keys off the fact that the home is privately rented, not how many people live in it or how many households share it.

Renting out without a licence inside a designated area is a criminal offence. Councils can apply a civil penalty of up to £40,000 per offence, and tenants can apply for a rent repayment order of up to 12 months of rent.

Check an address against the scheme

Enter the postcode and pick the address. We check the selected street against the council's published scheme area and tell you whether the licence applies.

East Staffordshire selective licensing schemes

East Staffordshire selective licensing 2022 to 2027

Selective licensing · active · Listed streets

Coverage: Listed streets
Runs: 12 Sept 2022 to 11 Sept 2027
Term: 5 years
Fee per property: £544

East Staffordshire selective licensing applies to designated streets: Blackpool Street, Branston Road, Broadway Street, Goodman Street, King Street, Queen Street, Shobnall Street, Uxbridge Street and Waterloo Street.

The scheme covers 9 named streets. The postcode tells you the council, but only the street name confirms whether the property is in scope. Adjacent streets can have different answers.

Standard new selective licence fee is £544 for a single property. Non-mandatory HMOs are £666; renewals are £351. Eligible applications may receive the published £50 accredited landlord, £100 introductory and £50 multiple-property discounts.

Properties exempt from this scheme

Properties with a mandatory HMO licence are exempt.
Other exemptions are those specified in the Housing Act 2004 and related selective licensing exemptions legislation.

Discounts the council offers

£50 accredited landlord discount.
£100 introductory discount for complete applications received within 6 weeks of the required application period.
£50 multiple-property discount for the second and subsequent properties.

Streets covered

Blackpool Street, Branston Road, Broadway Street, Goodman Street, King Street, Queen Street, Shobnall Street, Uxbridge Street, Waterloo Street.

Apply for this licence on the council site

East Staffordshire selective licensing 2027 to 2031

Selective licensing · confirmed · Listed streets

Coverage: Listed streets
Runs: 1 Jan 2027 to 31 Dec 2031
Term: 5 years
Fee per property: £700

East Staffordshire selective licensing from 1 January 2027 applies to privately rented homes on 16 designated streets: Anglesey Road, Belvedere Road, Byrkley Street, Calais Road, Derby Street, Edward Street, High Street, Horninglow Road, Horninglow Road North, Oak Street, Princess Street, Shobnall Road, Thornley Street, Victoria Crescent, Wetmore Road, Wyggeston Street.

The scheme covers 16 named streets. The postcode tells you the council, but only the street name confirms whether the property is in scope. Adjacent streets can have different answers.

A new licence for a single property is £700, paid as £400 with the application and £300 before the licence is issued. A licence for an HMO not subject to mandatory licensing is £800 (£400 and £400). The council says not to apply until it confirms the application process is open.

Properties exempt from this scheme

Properties with a mandatory HMO licence are exempt.
Other exemptions are those specified in the Housing Act 2004 and related selective licensing exemptions legislation.

Discounts the council offers

£150 early application discount for a valid new application within 6 weeks of the scheme starting or of a property becoming licensable.
£50 accredited landlord discount for members of a nationally recognised accreditation scheme.
£50 multiple-property discount for the second and subsequent applications submitted at the same time.

Streets covered

Anglesey Road, Belvedere Road, Byrkley Street, Calais Road, Derby Street, Edward Street, High Street, Horninglow Road, Horninglow Road North, Oak Street, Princess Street, Shobnall Road, Thornley Street, Victoria Crescent, Wetmore Road, Wyggeston Street.

Who needs a selective licence

If the property is inside the scheme area and rented out under most types of tenancy, the landlord usually needs a licence. That includes a couple renting a flat, a single tenant renting a whole house, and a family renting a terrace.

A selective licence does not normally apply to social housing, holiday lets, properties under the Housing Act 1985 Part 7, or homes already licensed as HMOs. The council's notice of designation lists the exact exemptions, and they vary scheme to scheme.

Whoever is in control of the property is responsible for the licence. That is normally the freeholder for a house, or the leaseholder for a flat. A managing agent can hold the licence with the landlord's written agreement.

Selective licensing and HMO licensing in East Staffordshire

Selective licensing and HMO licensing are different rules. A property only needs one licence at a time. If the property meets the test for a mandatory HMO (five or more people in two or more households) or for an additional HMO licence the council runs, that takes precedence and the property does not also need a selective licence.

East Staffordshire does not currently run an additional HMO licensing scheme. Larger HMOs still need a mandatory HMO licence under national law, but a small house share that does not meet the mandatory threshold falls back under selective licensing in scheme areas.

The practical effect: check the HMO rules first. If the property is an HMO under either definition, apply for the HMO licence. If it is a single-household let inside a designated selective area, apply for the selective licence instead.

How to apply

Applications go through the council. Most have an online form that takes the property address, the landlord and agent details, gas and electrical safety certificates, an Energy Performance Certificate, and proof of right to manage. Councils ask for the fee up front, usually split between a non-refundable application fee and a grant fee paid when the licence is issued.

A licence usually runs for five years. If the council renews the designation, every existing licence has to be re-applied for. Fees and conditions can change between renewals.

A licence is tied to the named landlord and the named property. Sell the property, change the manager, or move out and the licence does not transfer. The council needs a new application.

What happens if you do not licence

Renting out an unlicensed property in a designated area is a criminal offence under section 95 of the Housing Act 2004. Councils can prosecute, or apply a civil penalty of up to £40,000 instead under section 249A. The decision is the council's, and a civil penalty does not need a court case.

A tenant can apply for a rent repayment order for up to 12 months of rent already paid. Universal Credit and housing benefit paid for the same period can also be reclaimed by the council under section 41 of the Housing and Planning Act 2016. Two separate offences in 12 months can trigger a banning order, which removes the landlord from the rental market entirely.

The council can record the offence against the landlord or agent. Repeated housing offences can lead to a banning order and can affect future licence applications.

Talk to East Staffordshire directly

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

01283 508523

Apply for a licence

Application form on East Staffordshire's website

Public licence register

Search licensed properties in East Staffordshire

Official licensing page

East Staffordshire council guidance

Mortgage and insurance implications

A buy-to-let mortgage usually requires the landlord to hold any licence the council demands. Lenders ask for the licence reference at the point of letting and again at renewal. Letting an unlicensed property in a designated area can technically breach the mortgage terms, and lenders have called in loans on that basis.

Landlord insurance is similar. Insurers normally require any licensable property to actually be licensed, and a civil penalty or rent repayment order can void cover for related claims. Disclose the licence status on renewal.

Buyers of let properties in East Staffordshire should ask the seller for the licence reference and the conditions attached to it. The licence ends on sale, but the conditions tell the buyer what improvements the council has already required.