North West · Council licensing
Landlord licensing in Lancaster
✓ Hand-verified 18 Aug 2026Beyond mandatory HMO licensing, Lancaster does not currently operate a selective or additional licensing scheme. Here's the current position.
Required for any HMO let to 5 or more people forming 2+ households who share facilities.
Lancaster sets this fee under section 63(3) of the Housing Act 2004. Its current charge is not yet recorded here.
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.
Evidenced negative, Cabinet REJECTED (first-party research 18 Aug 2026). Lancaster consulted from 2 June 2023 to 29 September 2023 on both selective and additional licensing for the Heysham North and West End wards of Morecambe, supported by an evidence base titled The Case for Selective and Additional Licensing in Morecambe (June 2023). Cabinet decided on 16 April 2024 "to not implementing landlord licensing but to concentrate on a more intelligence led, targeted enforcement approach", and a 14 January 2025 Cabinet report confirms "A report was brought to Cabinet on the 16th April 2024 when it was decided not to proceed with selective licensing." the council instead commissioned a Good Landlords Charter consultation and a full stock condition survey, which could revive the question.
Evidenced negative, Cabinet REJECTED (first-party research 18 Aug 2026): the 16 April 2024 Cabinet decision covered BOTH proposed schemes, selective and additional, for Heysham North and West End. Lancaster's own HMO pages confirm it "currently operates a mandatory licensing scheme across the district as required by law". Despite significant student HMO concentration, no s.56 designation exists. Mandatory fees are published in an HMO Licence Fees PDF linked from the HMO page; no single figure was captured.
Common questions
Does Lancaster have a selective licensing scheme?
No. Lancaster 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 Lancaster have an additional HMO licensing scheme?
No. Lancaster does not currently operate an additional HMO licensing scheme. Mandatory HMO licensing still applies wherever a property is let to five or more people forming two or more households.
Do I need an HMO licence in Lancaster?
A mandatory HMO licence is required anywhere in England and Wales, including Lancaster, 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
All property licensing in North West →
Source: Lancaster licensing page →
Every landlord in Lancaster 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.
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