Merseyside · Council licensing
Landlord licensing in St Helens
✓ Hand-verified 26 May 2026Beyond mandatory HMO licensing, St Helens 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.
St Helens 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.
No active selective licensing scheme in St Helens. The council confirmed in a Freedom of Information response that it does not currently operate a Selective Licensing Scheme. The council's public-facing HMO licensing pages reference only the mandatory HMO regime under the Housing Act 2004 and make no mention of any selective licensing designation in any St Helens ward. Landlords renting properties in St Helens are not required to obtain a selective licence regardless of which ward the property is located in. The council maintains a public register of HMO licences but no equivalent register exists for selective licensing because no such scheme is in force.
No active additional HMO licensing scheme in St Helens. Only mandatory HMO licensing under the Housing Act 2004 and the Licensing of Houses in Multiple Occupation (Prescribed Description) (England) Order 2018 applies. Since 1 October 2018 the mandatory licensing scheme covers all multi-occupied properties where there are five or more occupants from two or more separate households who share basic facilities such as bathroom, kitchen, toilet or living room — regardless of the number of storeys. The property must be either a converted building with living accommodation or contain self-contained flats (but not a purpose-built block of flats). Smaller HMOs of three or four occupants do not require a licence in St Helens. The council operates an online application and payment process for mandatory HMO licences and maintains a public register of licensed HMOs.
Common questions
Does St Helens have a selective licensing scheme?
No. St Helens 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 St Helens have an additional HMO licensing scheme?
No. St Helens 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 St Helens?
A mandatory HMO licence is required anywhere in England and Wales, including St Helens, 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 Merseyside →
Source: St Helens licensing page →
Every landlord in St Helens 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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