Wales · Council licensing
Landlord licensing in Conwy
✓ Hand-verified 20 Aug 2026Conwy operates discretionary property licensing. Letting an unlicensed property where a scheme applies risks a civil penalty of up to £30,000 and a rent repayment order — check whether your property is covered below.
Required for any HMO let to 5 or more people forming 2+ households who share facilities.
The band is set by the number of separate lettings.
| up to 4 | £956 |
| up to 4 | £770 |
| Each let | £145 |
Conwy, read 20 August 2026
Conwy operates no selective licensing designation under s.80 of the Housing Act 2004. The council HMO pages and the July 2025 additional designation notice describe mandatory licensing and one additional licensing area only, with no reference anywhere to selective licensing of ordinary private rented homes. Conwy is in Wales, where Rent Smart Wales operates as a separate national registration and licensing regime under the Housing (Wales) Act 2014; that regime is neither evidence for nor against a Housing Act 2004 selective designation and has not been treated as such. Established 20 Aug 2026 from conwy.gov.uk.
Conwy operates a small additional HMO licensing scheme covering two streets. The Conwy County Borough Council Additional Licensing (Houses in Multiple Occupation Marine Road and South Parade, Pensarn) Scheme 2025 was made on 27 July 2025, came into force on 1 October 2025 and ceases to have effect on 30 September 2030. It applies to all houses in multiple occupation on Marine Road and South Parade in Pensarn, Abergele, other than those exempted by the Housing Act 2004 and those already licensed under mandatory HMO licensing. This is a street-level designation rather than a county-wide one, so a property elsewhere in Conwy is not caught by it and only mandatory HMO licensing applies there. Landlords in Wales must also register and be licensed through Rent Smart Wales, which is a separate requirement.
Areas: All HMOs on Marine Road and South Parade, Pensarn, Abergele, part of the Pensarn Pentre Mawr ward. Designated 27 July 2025. NOTE the council HMO FAQ mentions further areas in Colwyn Bay (Glyn, Rhiw) and Llandudno and Craig y Don (Gogarth, Mostyn, Tudno, Craig y Don), but NO in-force designation was found for those wards; treat them as not currently designated
The band is set by the number of separate lettings.
| up to 4 | £1,559 |
| up to 4 | £1,231 |
| Each let | £286 |
- Note the additional fee is substantially higher than the mandatory fee, which is unusual and is what the council publishes
Conwy, read 20 August 2026
Scheme runs until: 30 September 2030
Common questions
Does Conwy have a selective licensing scheme?
No. Conwy does not currently operate a selective licensing scheme. Mandatory HMO licensing still applies wherever a property is let to five or more people forming two or more households.
Does Conwy have an additional HMO licensing scheme?
Yes. Conwy operates an additional HMO licensing scheme. Letting a property covered by it without a licence risks a civil penalty of up to £30,000, a rent repayment order of up to twelve months' rent, and the loss of the right to serve a section 21 notice.
Do I need an HMO licence in Conwy?
A mandatory HMO licence is required anywhere in England and Wales, including Conwy, where a property is let to five or more people forming two or more households who share basic amenities. Smaller shared houses may also need a licence where an additional licensing scheme applies.
- Free landlord compliance check — five questions, no account
- Tenancy agreement checker — findings cited to the Act and section
- Selective licensing explained: who needs it, how to check
- Additional HMO licensing: the scheme for small shared houses
- Selective, additional or mandatory: which licence applies
- Do I need a licence to rent out my house?
Welsh letting law is not English letting law. These cover what actually applies here.
Additional HMO licensing in Conwy: areas, dates and fees →
All property licensing in Wales →
Source: Conwy licensing page →
Every landlord in Conwy also needs
A valid Gas Safety certificate (annual), an EICR (every 5 years), a valid EPC, a protected deposit, and smoke & CO alarms. In Wales you must also be licensed with Rent Smart Wales (or use a licensed agent), issue a written occupation contract and the accompanying written statement, and comply with the Renting Homes (Wales) Act 2016 — which replaced assured shorthold tenancies with occupation contracts and ended Section 21 in Wales in December 2022. The England-only How to Rent guide and Renters' Rights Act Information Sheet do not apply here.
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