Schemes in transition: designated, lapsed, and the gaps

· 8 min read

Most licensing advice treats a scheme as a switch: it exists or it does not. It is closer to a fixed-term contract. A designation carries a date it was made, a date it comes into force, and a date it ceases — and a landlord who confuses the first with the second either applies for a licence that does not exist yet or lets unlicensed for months believing they are early.

Designated, not yet biting

A designation made today typically commences three to twelve months later. In that window nothing is required of you, no council can accept an application, and the scheme is nonetheless certain.

We currently hold 0 schemes that are designated and not yet in force:

None in our records at the time this page was built.

Each of those council pages shows "Commences" rather than "Required", and states the date. If you own in one of them, the useful move is to get the property to licensing standard now and budget for the fee, not to try to apply.

In force now, ending within a year

The other end of the same problem. A designation cannot run longer than five years — section 84 for selective, section 60 for additional — and it does not roll over. When it ends, the requirement ends with it unless the council designates again.

We hold 21 schemes ceasing within the next twelve months:

  • Newcastle upon Tyne — selective licensing, ceases 30 September 2026
  • Tower Hamlets — selective licensing, ceases 30 September 2026
  • Southend-on-Sea — selective licensing, ceases 30 November 2026
  • Lambeth — additional licensing, ceases 8 December 2026
  • Wrexham — additional licensing, ceases 31 December 2026
  • Doncaster — selective licensing, ceases 28 February 2027
  • Southwark — selective licensing, ceases 28 February 2027
  • Southwark — additional licensing, ceases 1 March 2027
  • County Durham — selective licensing, ceases 31 March 2027
  • Ealing — selective licensing, ceases 31 March 2027
  • Ealing — additional licensing, ceases 31 March 2027
  • Liverpool — selective licensing, ceases 31 March 2027
  • Lewisham — additional licensing, ceases 4 April 2027
  • Hammersmith & Fulham — selective licensing, ceases 4 June 2027
  • Hammersmith & Fulham — additional licensing, ceases 4 June 2027
  • Ashfield — selective licensing, ceases 24 July 2027
  • Oldham — selective licensing, ceases 31 July 2027
  • Oxford — selective licensing, ceases 31 August 2027
  • Salford — selective licensing, ceases 31 August 2027
  • Walsall — additional licensing, ceases 31 August 2027
  • East Staffordshire — selective licensing, ceases 11 September 2027

Two real cases from this week

Oxford: a genuine sixteen-day gap

Oxford City Council's citywide additional HMO scheme ran from 10 June 2021. The council's own page states: "The designation made in 2021 continues to remain operative until 9 June 2026." Its replacement did not begin immediately — the same page states: "This designation comes into force on 25 June 2026 and will last for five years."

Between 10 and 24 June 2026 there was, on the council's own account, no additional licensing designation in force in Oxford. Sixteen days. A landlord checking in that window would have found no scheme and been correct, and would have been wrong again a fortnight later.

We had the 2021 dates and not the renewal, which is exactly the failure this article is about: our page described a scheme that had ended. It is corrected, and the correction is why the gap is documented here at all.

Salford: an ending with no replacement published

Salford City Council's citywide additional HMO scheme commenced 19 July 2021. The council's own page states: "The scheme commenced on 19 July 2021 and will last for five years. All licences will end on 19 July 2026." and, plainly, "The additional HMO licensing scheme will end on 19 July 2026."

That date has passed and no renewal is published. We have therefore stopped asserting that Salford operates an additional scheme — but we have not replaced it with "no scheme", because the council's page was last updated before the end date and a re-designation made since would not appear there. The honest state is "we do not know", and that is what the page says.

Salford's selective schemes are unaffected and continue.

Why gaps are hard to see

Nobody announces a lapse. A council publicises a new designation and quietly leaves the old page up, so the visible signal for "this scheme ended" is usually nothing at all. The only reliable check is arithmetic on the dates in the instrument itself — which is why we now hold a commencement or cease date for 123 of the 123 schemes we assert, and treat a dateless assertion as a defect rather than a detail.

Check where your council sits. Every page in our licensing index shows the designation dates we hold and distinguishes a scheme that is required now from one that commences on a stated date.

Try the tool. The licence fee lookup shows each council’s scheme with its commencement and expiry dates, and distinguishes a designated-but-not-yet-commenced scheme from one in force today.

Common questions

Can a licensing designation be extended?

No. A designation runs for the period it specifies, to a statutory maximum of five years, and cannot be extended. A council wanting the scheme to continue must make a fresh designation, which is a new instrument with its own consultation, dates and — often — a different area and fee.

Do I still need a licence if the scheme ends during its term?

The requirement ends with the designation. A licence already granted typically expires on the designation's end date rather than running its own five years, which is why councils commonly state that all licences end on a single date. Check the licence itself, since conditions continue to apply while it is in force.

How many schemes are designated but not yet in force?

None in our records at the moment. That changes as councils designate, and this figure is computed when the page is built rather than typed in.

What happens to my application if I apply before the scheme starts?

The council cannot grant a licence under a designation that is not yet in force, so an early application is generally held or returned. The practical step during the window is to bring the property up to licensing standard and budget the fee, then apply once the scheme commences.

Sources

Figures about our own council records are computed when this page is built, so they cannot drift from the database. Information tool, not legal advice.

Read next

How to read a licensing designation notice8 min readHow to check whether your property needs a licence6 min readWhen a council contradicts its own notice: Croydon6 min readSelective licensing explained: who needs it, how to check7 min read

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Councils this applies to

Each page carries that council’s own position, with the date we read it.

Landlord HQ uses AI to analyse legislation and tenancy agreements. While we work hard to ensure accuracy, AI can make mistakes. Always verify compliance requirements with a qualified solicitor. Landlord HQ is an information tool, not legal advice.

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