Property Licence

Mansfield licensing / Selective licensing

Selective licensing in Mansfield

Active in Mansfield

Selective licensing applies to most private rented homes inside a designated area. Mansfield 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.

Mansfield selective licensing schemes

Mansfield selective licensing 2025 to 2030

Selective licensing · active · Listed streets

Coverage
Listed streets
Runs
13 Sept 2025 to 12 Sept 2030
Term
5 years
Fee per property
£800

Mansfield selective licensing applies to designated streets in parts of Central, West Bank and Wainwright, Market Warsop, Eakring and Rock Hill, and Central and Bancroft areas.

The scheme covers 74 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.

Paid in two parts: £500 on application (Part A) and £300 when the licence is issued (Part B).

Properties exempt from this scheme

  • Registered social housing
  • Certain tenancies such as business or agricultural lets
  • Resident landlord arrangements
  • Properties already licensed under other legislation, including HMO licensing, care homes and student halls

Discounts the council offers

  • £100 discount for recognised accredited landlords through DASH, NRLA or EMPO.

A landlord who qualifies for the strongest energy and accreditation discounts on this scheme pays around £700 instead of the headline £800 fee, a saving of £100.

Streets covered

Area 1 - Bishop Street - All, Area 1 - Cambridge Street - All, Area 1 - Dallas Street - All, Area 1 - Lord Street - All, Area 1 - Moor Street - All, Area 1 - Portland Place - All, Area 1 - Portland Street - Nos 28-40, Area 1 - Princes Street - All, Area 1 - Victoria Street - All, Area 1 - York Street - All, Area 2 - Arundel Drive - All, Area 2 - Broomhill Lane - All, Area 2 - Devon Drive - All, Area 2 - George Street - All, Area 2 - Howard Road - All, Area 2 - Rosemary Street - odds only 89-107, Area 2 - Sadler Street - All, Area 2 - Stafford Street - All, Area 2 - Surrey Drive - All, Area 2 - Tucker Lane - All, Area 2 - Westfield Lane - even 56-132, odd 97-125, Area 3 - Bainbridge Road, Warsop - All, Area 3 - Clumber Street, Warsop - All, Area 3 - Day Street, Warsop - All, Area 3 - Fenwick Street, Warsop - All, Area 3 - Longden Terrace, Warsop - All, Area 3 - Muschamp Terrace, Warsop - All, Area 3 - Newcastle Street, Warsop - All, Area 3 - Portland Street, Warsop - All, Area 3 - Ridgeway Lane - Nos 1-32, Area 3 - Ridgeway Terrace - All, Area 3 - Vickers Street, Warsop - All, Area 3 - Watson Street, Warsop - All, Area 3 - Welbeck Street, Warsop - All, Area 4 - Arthur Street - All, Area 4 - Belper Street - All, Area 4 - Bentinck Street - All, Area 4 - Birkland Street - All, Area 4 - Bowling Street - All, Area 4 - Coronation Street - All, Area 4 - Empire Street - All, Area 4 - Frederick Street - All, Area 4 - Gladstone Street - All, Area 4 - Harcourt Street - All, Area 4 - Hardwick Street - All, Area 4 - Hope Street - All, Area 4 - King Street - All, Area 4 - Newgate Lane - All, Area 4 - Redcliffe Road - All, Area 5 - Bancroft Lane - Nos 4-32, 25-69, Area 5 - Beardall Street - All, Area 5 - Browning Street - All, Area 5 - Burns Street - All including flats, Area 5 - Byron Street - All, Area 5 - Chaucer Street - All, Area 5 - Corporation Street - All, Area 5 - Goldsmith Street - All, Area 5 - Holden Street - Al, Area 5 - Kipling Street - All, Area 5 - Ladybrook Lane - Nos 1-23, Area 5 - Layton Avenue - All, Area 5 - Lindley Street - All, Area 5 - Manvers Street - All, Area 5 - Milton Street - All, Area 5 - Mount Pleasant - All, Area 5 - Noel Street - All, Area 5 - Padley Hill - All, Area 5 - Rosemary Street - odds only 55-87A, Area 5 - St Johns Place - All, Area 5 - Thoresby Street - All, Area 5 - Thorn Terrace - All, Area 5 - Welbeck St - All, Area 5 - Westfield Lane - Nos 7-83, Area 5 - Wood Street - All.

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 Mansfield

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.

Mansfield 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.

A landlord who has not applied for a licence cannot serve a valid section 21 no-fault eviction notice. The block lasts until the licence is in place. A tenancy started inside the scheme area without a licence remains valid; only the eviction route is closed.

Talk to Mansfield directly

Anything on this page that you cannot find an answer to, the council's licensing team can confirm in minutes.

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 Mansfield 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.