Selective licensing in Oldham

Yes. Oldham operates a selective licensing scheme. Letting a covered property 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.

Legal basis
Housing Act 2004, section 80
Areas covered
Phase 1: five designated areas within the wards of Medlock Vale, St Mary's, Werneth, Waterhead, Alexandra, Chadderton South and Hollinwood, covering roughly 1,800 privately rented homes. Designation is by street rather than by whole ward, so check the council's street list or map for your exact address.
Runs until
31 July 2027
Last verified
4 Aug 2026

What the designation says

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.

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 £30,000 per offence, a rent repayment order of up to twelve months' rent, and a section 21 notice that cannot be served while the property is unlicensed. Mandatory HMO licensing applies separately and everywhere, wherever a property is let to five or more people forming two or more households.

Oldham's own licensing page →

Free compliance audit →Five questions, no sign-up. Every duty that applies to your property, licensing included.Check your tenancy agreement →Unlicensed letting invalidates a section 21 notice. We check the agreement against current law.

Information tool, not legal advice. Confirm the position with Oldham before letting.