West Midlands · Council licensing
Landlord licensing in Staffordshire Moorlands
✓ Hand-verified 19 Aug 2026Beyond mandatory HMO licensing, Staffordshire Moorlands 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.
One payment, and the licence lasts 5 years.
Staffordshire Moorlands — council's own published fees, read, read 19 Aug 2026
Evidenced negative by enumeration (first-party research 19 Aug 2026): the council HMO page states a licence is required where a property "is rented to 5 or more people who form more than 1 household, and tenants share toilet, bathroom or kitchen facilities". Mandatory licensing is presented as the only licensing operating and no s.80 selective designation is named. No consultation or committee decision 2020-2026 was found on staffsmoorlands.gov.uk. Staffordshire Moorlands falls within the new North Staffordshire unitary with Stoke-on-Trent and Newcastle-under-Lyme, vesting day 1 April 2028.
Evidenced negative by enumeration (first-party research 19 Aug 2026): the council HMO page names no s.56 additional designation. Fee quoted verbatim: "The relevant licence fee (first application £450.00, subsequent application £350.00)" and "Licenses can be applied for from the Council's Private Sector Housing Service and cost £450.00 for a five-year period, after which they must be renewed." this row previously held £865, which is not a figure Staffordshire Moorlands publishes.
Common questions
Does Staffordshire Moorlands have a selective licensing scheme?
No. Staffordshire Moorlands 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 Staffordshire Moorlands have an additional HMO licensing scheme?
No. Staffordshire Moorlands 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 Staffordshire Moorlands?
A mandatory HMO licence is required anywhere in England and Wales, including Staffordshire Moorlands, 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 West Midlands →
Source: Staffordshire Moorlands licensing page →
Every landlord in Staffordshire Moorlands 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.
Check your Staffordshire Moorlands property in 30 seconds
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