Council licensing report

Landlord licensing in Great Yarmouth

Great Yarmouth 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.

What landlords need to know

Status

Great Yarmouth

Selective

Mandatory HMO (national)

Selective licensing: 1 active
Additional HMO licensing: None listed
Mandatory HMO licensing: Applies nationally
Local scheme coverage: Listed streets or areas
Active local schemes: 1 active scheme
Last checked: 22 May 2026

Selective licensing in Great Yarmouth

Who is covered, fees, dates and exemptions.

HMO licensing in Great Yarmouth

Mandatory and additional HMO rules with thresholds.

Check a postcode and address in Great Yarmouth

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.

Local schemes in Great Yarmouth

Great Yarmouth selective licensing 2026 to 2031

Selective licensing · active · Named areas · 1 Apr 2026 to 31 Mar 2031

Coverage: Named areas
Fee: £694

Great Yarmouth selective licensing applies to privately rented properties in the whole of Nelson, Central and Northgate, and Southtown and Cobholm wards, plus listed streets in Yarmouth North ward.

Show the 3 wards covered by this scheme

Central and Northgate, Nelson, Southtown and Cobholm.

Show the 8 streets covered by this scheme

Arundel Road, Churchill Road, East side of Harley Road, Garfield Road, North side of Salisbury Road, South side of Hamilton Road, Walpole Road, West side of North Denes Road.

How each scheme is scoped in Great Yarmouth

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 Great Yarmouth chose changes how confident you can be from the postcode alone.

Great Yarmouth selective licensing 2026 to 2031

This scheme covers the areas listed on the council's designation notice.

Common rental setups in Great Yarmouth

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 Great Yarmouth's current rules say about each.

Single tenant in a flat or studio

Licence needed

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 Great Yarmouth's designated scheme area.

Couple renting a whole house

Licence needed

Two people from one household renting an entire house on one tenancy.

May need a selective licence if the address sits inside Great Yarmouth's designated scheme area.

Family renting a whole house

Licence needed

Parents and dependent children from one household renting an entire house.

May need a selective licence if the address sits inside Great Yarmouth's designated scheme area.

Three sharers from different households

Worth confirming

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 Great Yarmouth's scheme area. Confirm with the council before letting.

Four sharers from different households

Worth confirming

Four unrelated tenants sharing a kitchen and bathroom.

Selective licensing can still catch a small HMO if the property sits inside Great Yarmouth's scheme area. Confirm with the council before letting.

Five or more sharers from different households

Licence needed

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.

Lodger with a live-in landlord

No licence needed

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.

Student house of five

Licence needed

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.

Buying a property in Great Yarmouth

A property licence does not transfer when a property changes hands. If you buy a let property that needs a licence under Great Yarmouth'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 Great Yarmouth, 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.

Talk to Great Yarmouth 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

01493 846636

Apply for a licence

Application form on Great Yarmouth's website

Public licence register

Search licensed properties in Great Yarmouth

Official licensing page

Great Yarmouth council guidance