Selective licensing in Oxford

What the designation says

Oxford City Council operates a CITYWIDE Selective Licensing scheme that came into force on 1 September 2022 and runs until 31 August 2027 (midnight) — 5-year designation. This was Oxford's FIRST selective licensing scheme. Approved by the Secretary of State following a 2020 consultation . Designation under section 80 of the Housing Act 2004. Approved by the Secretary of State (the consultation took place when SoS approval was still required for schemes covering more than 20% of the geographical area). The WHOLE CITY of Oxford. Combined with the citywide Additional HMO Licensing scheme, this means EVERY privately rented property in Oxford requires a property licence (mandatory HMO, additional HMO, or selective) unless statutorily exempt. All privately rented properties within Oxford that are NOT a House in Multiple Occupation. Any privately rented property occupied by a single household or up to 2 unrelated sharers. The selective scheme estimated 26,108 family homes in scope (the remainder of the ~30,508 PRS properties after 4,400 HMOs are accounted for). Up to £1,640 maximum (verify exact current fees by 1 April 2025 to 31 March 2026 schedule on oxford.gov.uk/selective-licensing/selective-licensing-fees-charges). Two-stage fees: Stage 1 covers application processing; Stage 2 covers inspection, ongoing scheme, and enforcement costs. Applications can ONLY be paid by card. Card must be pre-authorisable up to £1,640 (the maximum fee). NO payment plans or instalments. Selective Licence applications can only be submitted up to 4 weeks before the tenancy start date. Discount of £280 for accredited landlords (LLAS, NRLA etc) — applied to Stage 2 fee where the property is fully managed by the accredited person/company. Accreditation must be obtained and held throughout the duration of the licence and all certificates must be valid and submitted with the application. The HIGHER RATE application fee is the DEFAULT fee charged unless the applicant submits evidence the property only became licensable within 12 weeks of the application date. The onus is on the applicant to provide this evidence with the original application. 23 conditions per licence. Cover gas safety (annual certificate), electrical safety (5-year EICR), furniture safety, smoke alarms (provision and maintenance), supplying occupants with written terms of occupancy, anti-social behaviour management, fit and proper person test for licence holder. Conditions on selective licences are LIMITED by Court of Appeal ruling Brown v Hyndburn Borough Council — "management" relates to operational matters only, NOT to improving/upgrading houses or installing new facilities/equipment. Improvements are dealt with under Part 1 Housing Act 2004 instead. Properties in the selective licensing scheme are NOT inspected before issue of a licence. Inspections are prioritised by property history, landlord/manager compliance history, and information in the application. Where a property is managed by an accredited letting agent or landlord, only a sample of properties will be inspected. Every assessment includes Damp & Mould, Excess Cold, and Fire (the three most common hazards identified in Oxford's 2020 independent review). Civil financial penalty up to £30,000 per offence. Unlimited fine on conviction. RROs up to 12 months (24 months under Renters' Rights Act 2025). Section 21 invalid where unlicensed. oxford.gov.uk/selective-licensing online application portal. Selective licensing email via the council website.

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.

Oxford's own licensing page →