Selective licensing in Charnwood
Yes. Charnwood operates a selective licensing scheme. Letting a covered property without a licence risks a civil penalty of up to £40,000 and a rent repayment order of up to two years' rent.
Common questions
Do I need a selective licence in Charnwood?
Yes. Charnwood operates a selective licensing scheme. Letting a covered property without a licence risks a civil penalty of up to £40,000 and a rent repayment order of up to two years' rent.
Which areas of Charnwood does the scheme cover?
The historic Loughborough Lemyngton and Hastings wards. Confirm a specific address against the council's own designation map before applying.
When does Charnwood's scheme end?
The designation runs until 31 March 2028, unless the council revokes it earlier under section 84 of the Housing Act 2004.
What does the licence cost?
£700. Councils commonly discount for accredited landlords and early applications; confirm the current figure with Charnwood before budgeting.
Paid in two parts — one on application, the balance before the licence is issued.
- Discount available
Charnwood, read 28 August 2026
What the designation says
Charnwood Borough Council operates a selective licensing scheme covering privately rented properties in the Lemyngton and Hastings wards of Loughborough, introduced in 2023. Every privately rented property in those two wards needs a licence, whatever its size or the number of occupants. Council properties, registered providers and other regulated bodies are exempt. A property needs either an HMO licence or a selective licence, not both. The council publishes a searchable public register of licensed properties. WARD BOUNDARIES HAVE CHANGED SINCE DESIGNATION. Charnwood's own scheme conditions describe the designated area as "the former Hastings and Lemyngton wards in the borough of Charnwood". A designation fixes its area at the moment it is made; a later boundary review does not move it. So a landlord who checks a CURRENT Charnwood ward map may conclude their property is outside the scheme when the designation still covers it, or inside when it does not. Confirm the specific address against the designation map Charnwood published with the scheme, not against today's ward names.
What this means for a landlord
A licence must be in place before the property is let, not applied for afterwards. Operating unlicensed in a designated area is a criminal offence: a civil penalty of up to £40,000 per offence and a rent repayment order of up to two years' rent. Both maxima apply to conduct on or after 1 May 2026; before that date they were £30,000 and twelve months. Section 21 was abolished on 1 May 2026 and possession now runs through the amended section 8 grounds. Mandatory HMO licensing applies separately and everywhere, wherever a property is let to five or more people forming two or more households.
Information tool, not legal advice. Confirm the position with Charnwood before letting.