How do you check if selective licensing applies before letting?
Council scheme lookups, map layers, and licence applications landlords complete before marketing certain streets in England.
Published: 18 Apr 2026 · Updated: 18 Apr 2026 · 9 min read
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Licensing expands city by city
Selective schemes catch streets outside classic HMO definitions. Ignorance is a weak defence if marketing starts too early.
Practical steps
Search council landlord licensing portals for your postcode.
Save scheme PDFs defining commencement dates.
Apply before advertising if adverts could create tenancy.
Upload your licence summary to the Property Passport for permitted Stakeholders.
Using Property Passport UK
Start from the address on [Property Search](/search). When you own or manage the home, [claim your Property Passport](/claim/start) and upload Documents with clear dates and sources. Browse more explainers in the [Property Guides library](/guides). This article is general information, not legal, tax, mortgage, or survey advice.
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