Rotherham licensing / Selective licensing

Selective licensing in Rotherham

Active in Rotherham

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

Rotherham selective licensing schemes

Rotherham selective licensing 2026 to 2031

Selective licensing · active · Named areas

Coverage: Named areas
Runs: 15 Feb 2026 to 14 Feb 2031
Term: 5 years
Fee per property: £975

Rotherham selective licensing applies to six designated areas: Town centre / Eastwood / Clifton / Boston Castle, Masbrough / Kimberworth, Thurcroft, Dinnington, Brinsworth and Parkgate.

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

Paid in two parts: £276 application/admin charge and £699 maintenance charge payable on offer of licence; total standard licence fee £975.

Properties exempt from this scheme

Properties subject to a current prohibition order
Properties used for business premises
Properties that require another type of licence, such as an HMO licence
Properties with a tenancy for agricultural land or holdings
Properties controlled by a local housing authority, registered social landlord, police authority, fire and rescue authority or health service body
Student accommodation where the person managing or controlling it is the educational establishment
Tenancies granted for more than 21 years where the landlord cannot end the tenancy early other than by forfeiture
Homes occupied by a member of the landlord's family where the Housing Act 2004 criteria are met
Holiday homes
Accommodation shared with the landlord, licensor or a member of their family
Temporary exemption notices may be available where steps are being taken so the property will not need a licence.

Discounts the council offers

37% off the maintenance charge for landlords who received better property rebates in the 2020 to 2025 selective licensing scheme, where the application is in the same name as the previous qualifying application.
5% off the maintenance charge for fully completed applications received with all required supporting documents within 90 days of the property becoming licensable.
Flats within the same building each pay the administrative charge, then one full maintenance charge and 35% of the maintenance charge for all other flats in that building.
Owners of larger portfolios pay the full administrative charge on three properties, then 35% of the administrative charge on additional properties.
A 12-month direct debit is available on the maintenance charge with a £22 one-off admin fee if within three years of the start of the scheme.

A landlord who qualifies for the strongest energy and accreditation discounts on this scheme pays around £953 instead of the headline £975 fee, a saving of £22.

Apply for this licence on the council site

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 Rotherham

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.

Rotherham 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 Rotherham 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

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

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 Rotherham 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.