Council licensing report
Rotherham 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 · Named areas · 15 Feb 2026 to 14 Feb 2031
Rotherham selective licensing applies to six designated areas: Town centre / Eastwood / Clifton / Boston Castle, Masbrough / Kimberworth, Thurcroft, Dinnington, Brinsworth and Parkgate.
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 Rotherham chose changes how confident you can be from the postcode alone.
This scheme covers the areas listed on the council's designation notice.
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 Rotherham'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 Rotherham'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 Rotherham'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 Rotherham'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 Rotherham'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 Rotherham'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.
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.
A property licence does not transfer when a property changes hands. If you buy a let property that needs a licence under Rotherham'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 Rotherham, 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
01709 822620
Apply for a licence
Application form on Rotherham's website
Public licence register
Search licensed properties in Rotherham
Official licensing page
Rotherham council guidance
Council postcode checker
Rotherham's own street or postcode lookup