West Midlands (met county) · Council licensing
Landlord licensing in Coventry
✓ Hand-verified 19 Aug 2026Coventry 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.
Paid in two parts — one on application, the balance before the licence is issued.
| Stage 1 | £716 |
| Stage 2 | £228 |
| Total | £944 |
Coventry — coventry.gov.uk, read 19 Aug 2026
Coventry City Council does NOT operate a selective licensing scheme. The council formally consulted on selective licensing for selected wards in 2019 alongside its additional licensing proposals, but Cabinet and Full Council resolved "Not to progress with Selective Licensing at this time." The council relies instead on its city-wide additional HMO licensing scheme for smaller HMO regulation, plus an Article 4 Direction across Cheylesmore, Earlsdon, Foleshill and other wards (since 30 September 2023) which controls C3 to C4 conversions through planning, not licensing.
Coventry operates a city-wide additional HMO licensing scheme. The current (renewed) scheme designation was made on 7 October 2024, came into force on 4 May 2025 and runs until 3 May 2030 (5 years). It applies to any HMO occupied by 3 or 4 occupiers irrespective of storeys, plus section 257 HMOs that are mainly or wholly tenanted (with limited exemptions for two-flat blocks not above commercial premises and where the building shares no internal/external common parts and is no more than two storeys). The original city-wide scheme ran from 4 May 2020 to 3 May 2025 and resulted in around 11,598 licence conditions added and approximately £1.6m of investment in HMO improvements. Licence fees range from £820 to £2,070 depending on eligibility. Coventry Landlord Accreditation Scheme (CLAS) is a free voluntary scheme.
Areas: City-wide. HMOs occupied by 3 or 4 occupiers and certain s.257 HMOs. Designation made 7 October 2024
Paid in two parts — one on application, the balance before the licence is issued.
| Stage 1 | £716 |
| Stage 2 | £228 |
| Total | £944 |
Coventry — coventry.gov.uk, read 19 Aug 2026
Scheme runs until: 3 May 2030
Common questions
Does Coventry have a selective licensing scheme?
No. Coventry 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 Coventry have an additional HMO licensing scheme?
Yes. Coventry 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 Coventry?
A mandatory HMO licence is required anywhere in England and Wales, including Coventry, 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
Additional HMO licensing in Coventry: areas, dates and fees →
All property licensing in West Midlands (met county) →
Source: Coventry licensing page →
Every landlord in Coventry also needs
A valid Gas Safety certificate (annual), an EICR (every 5 years), a valid EPC, a protected deposit, smoke & CO alarms, the Renters' Rights Act Information Sheet, and a current How to Rent guide — plus the new Section 8 possession rules since Section 21 was abolished on 1 May 2026.
Check your Coventry property in 30 seconds
Free, no account — see exactly what applies to your property, then let Landlord HQ track every deadline from £9.99/mo.