Greater Manchester · Council licensing
Oldham 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.
Fee: £834 for 5 bedrooms plus £35.60 per additional bedroom plus £380 compliance & enforcement fee
Oldham has operated selective licensing since 2015. The current scheme was introduced in July 2022 (renewed from the original 2014/15 scheme following consultation) and runs for five years. Requires all privately rented properties within the designated area to hold a licence. Property must be reasonably suitable for occupation and the licence holder must be a fit and proper person. A separate borough-wide non-immediate Article 4 Direction (planning control, removing permitted development rights for small HMO conversions) was consulted on October-November 2025 and was due to come into force on 1 January 2026 - this is separate from licensing.
Areas: Check Selective Licensing Areas to see if this applies to you
Scheme runs until: 31 July 2027
No additional licensing scheme is currently in force.
Source: Oldham licensing page →
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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