Landlord licensing
Liverpool selective licensing: does a rented home need a licence?
In some streets and areas of Liverpool, most rented homes let to one household, or to one or two people, need a selective licence.
Shared homes of 5 or more people from 2 or more households need an HMO licence everywhere in England.
From Liverpool City Council’s own pages · Last checked 12 October 2026
Check a Liverpool postcode
We’ll tell you if a licensing area covers the address. It checks the area, not the home: it can’t tell you if this landlord has a licence.
Liverpool licensing at a glance
| Licence | Who it’s for | Where | Dates |
|---|---|---|---|
| Selective | Homes let to one household, or to one or two people | In some streets and areas of Liverpool | Ends 31 March 2027 |
| Mandatory HMO | Shared homes of 5 or more people from 2 or more households | Everywhere in England | No end date |
Mandatory HMO licensing is set by national law.
Where selective licensing applies
See Liverpool City Council’s map of the licensing areas
Liverpool selective licensing 2022
1 April 2022 to 31 March 2027
Sixteen wards as they were drawn before 2023, covering about 80% of the city’s rented homes.
Where an area is drawn on a map or a list of streets, the checker says a licence “may” be needed. Then check the map.
What renters need to know
- Selective licence
- A licence for a home let to one household, or to one or two people. Only some councils use them, in areas they choose.
- HMO
- A shared home where people from 2 or more households share a kitchen, bathroom or toilet. Small ones may need an additional licence. Ones with 5 or more people always need a mandatory licence.
- Ward
- A small part of a council area, like a neighbourhood. One ward can need a licence when the next one doesn’t.
- Licence holder
- The person or company named on the licence. Usually the landlord or the letting agent.
- The licence is the landlord’s job. You don’t need to do anything, and you can’t be fined.
- A landlord who should have a licence and doesn’t can be fined up to £40,000 by the council (Housing Act 2004, section 249A).
- If the home should have had a licence, you may be able to apply to a tribunal for some of your rent back. This is called a rent repayment order (section 44).
What to ask the agent
- Does this home need a licence?
- What is the licence number?
- Whose name is on the licence?
- When does the licence run out?
- How many people can live here?
How to check the licence
- Get the licence number from the agent.
- Look it up on Liverpool City Council’s register of licences.
- Check the address, the licence holder and how many people it allows.
Check the home itself
Our free check looks at the home’s energy rating, flood risk, council tax and crime nearby. Complete RenterCheck also shows whether a company or a person owns it, whether it’s on the council’s list of shared-house licences, and if the rent is fair.
Check a property freeQuestions
- Can I be fined if my Liverpool landlord has no licence?
- No. Licensing rules are for landlords. The council can fine a landlord up to £40,000. A renter can’t be fined.
- Can I get my rent back if the home has no licence?
- You may be able to, if the home needed a licence and didn’t have one. You apply to a tribunal for a rent repayment order. The most you can get back is 12 months’ rent if it happened before 1 May 2026, or 24 months’ rent from that date.
- The agent says a licence has been applied for. Is that OK?
- Yes, if the application is real and in progress. Ask when it was made, then check with the council. A landlord who has applied isn’t breaking the law while the council decides.
Sources
- Liverpool City Council: property licensing, checked 12 October 2026
- Liverpool selective licensing 2022
- Housing Act 2004: section 232 (registers) and section 249A (fines)
- Housing and Planning Act 2016: section 44 (rent repayment orders)
- Licensing of Houses in Multiple Occupation (Prescribed Description) (England) Order 2018
This guide covers common private tenancies in England and is general information, not legal advice. Different rules apply in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland, and to lodgers, social housing and some specialist accommodation.