Wales · Council licensing
Landlord licensing in Denbighshire
✓ Hand-verified 20 Aug 2026Denbighshire 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 bedrooms, and the licence lasts 5 years.
| 4 rooms | £855 |
| 5 rooms | £890 |
| up to 20 | £1,415 |
| 5 rooms | £490 |
| Each room | £40 |
- £200 discount applies to a full application made within 8 weeks of notification
Denbighshire — sirddinbych.gov.uk, read 19 Aug 2026
Denbighshire operates no selective licensing designation under s.80. The council's HMO licence application guidance states verbatim: "Denbighshire County Council operates a Mandatory & Additional Licensing Scheme", and the licensing pages list only those two HMO regimes. The county-wide additional scheme approved 21 October 2025, commencing 1 February 2026 to 31 January 2031 with Denbigh, Llangollen, Prestatyn and Rhyl re-designated, is s.56 additional licensing, not selective. Wales rule applied. Distinguished from Conwy, Flintshire, Wrexham and Gwynedd. Established 20 Aug 2026 from sirddinbych.gov.uk.
An additional HMO licensing scheme is in force across Denbighshire. The Denbighshire County Council Additional Licensing (Houses in Multiple Occupation) Scheme 2025 was approved on 21 October 2025, commenced on 1 February 2026 and runs for a maximum of five years, until 31 January 2031. The areas of Denbigh, Llangollen, Prestatyn and Rhyl were re-designated and the scheme was then expanded to cover the whole county. It catches properties let to three or more tenants forming more than one household, whether or not they share facilities, and certain converted multi-unit buildings that do not meet the 1991 Building Regulations standard where fewer than two-thirds of the flats are owner-occupied. Because the scheme reaches three-tenant households it is considerably wider than mandatory licensing. Landlords in Wales must also register and be licensed through Rent Smart Wales, which is a separate requirement.
Areas: County-wide, with Denbigh, Llangollen, Prestatyn and Rhyl re-designated within it
Denbighshire publishes this much: Same fee table as mandatory (cost code 3479-40142 additional against 3479-40091 mandatory), so the additional fee does not differ. Denbighshire County Council Additional Licensing (Houses in Multiple Occupation) Scheme 2025, Cabinet approved 21 October 2025 under s.56. Denbigh, Llangollen, Prestatyn and Rhyl redesignated and the scheme extended county-wide. Commences 1 February 2026, runs to 31 January 2031.
The council’s own licensing page carries the charge that applies today — confirm it there before you budget.
Not established is not the same as free.
Scheme runs until: 31 January 2031
Common questions
Does Denbighshire have a selective licensing scheme?
No. Denbighshire 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 Denbighshire have an additional HMO licensing scheme?
Yes. Denbighshire 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 Denbighshire?
A mandatory HMO licence is required anywhere in England and Wales, including Denbighshire, 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 Denbighshire: areas, dates and fees →
All property licensing in Wales →
Source: Denbighshire licensing page →
Every landlord in Denbighshire 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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