Selective licensing in Liverpool
Yes. Liverpool 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 Liverpool?
Yes. Liverpool 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 Liverpool does the scheme cover?
16 of Liverpool's 30 wards, under the poor housing conditions designation. Confirm a specific address against the council's own designation map before applying.
When does Liverpool's scheme end?
The designation runs until 31 March 2027, unless the council revokes it earlier under section 84 of the Housing Act 2004.
What does the licence cost?
£704. Councils commonly discount for accredited landlords and early applications; confirm the current figure with Liverpool before budgeting.
Paid in two parts — one on application, the balance before the licence is issued.
- No fee where the landlord houses homeless households via the council
- NOTE a £995 figure circulates; that is a PROPOSED fee in a live consultation on three possible future schemes and is not payable
- Discount £449; stacked discounts down to £321
- Discounts: EPC C or above £64, all flats in a block £64, professional body membership £37 (Propertymark, Safeagent, Liverpool Student Homes, NRLA, North West Property Owners Association)
Liverpool — liverpool.gov.uk, read 19 Aug 2026
What the designation says
Selective licensing, branded Landlord Licensing in Liverpool, covering 16 designated wards and approximately 80% of the privately rented homes in the city. The current scheme came into force on 1 April 2022 and runs to 31 March 2027. Since launch it has received more than 56,000 licence applications, granted over 48,000 licences, carried out more than 19,000 inspections, identified over 3,500 housing hazards and issued more than 1,100 enforcement notices. As at 4 August 2026 the scheme has NOT been renewed. Liverpool is running a 10-week public consultation, independently managed by Opinion Research Services, which closes on 5 October 2026 and sets out three options for a successor: a citywide scheme covering 64 wards, a deprivation-based scheme covering 29 wards, or a poor-property-conditions scheme covering 26 wards. No option has been selected and no successor designation has been made, so the expiry is left at the verified 31 March 2027 and no future date has been assumed. The council does not publish the 16 ward names on its landing page, so the coverage is recorded by count rather than an invented ward list. RE-CHECK AFTER 5 OCTOBER 2026. Verified 4 Aug 2026 against liverpool.gov.uk and Liverpool Express.
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 Liverpool before letting.