Selective licensing
A selective licensing scheme means that all private landlords in a designated area must have a licence to rent out a privately-rented property.
Selective licensing aims to improve the private rented market. It means property must be of a decent standard for a landlord to rent out.
Selective licensing also gives tenants confidence that houses and flats in a designated area will be healthy and safe to live in.
Selective licensing in Birmingham
Following our successful application to the Department of Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, we now have permission for a selective licensing scheme that will cover 25 of Birmingham's 69 wards.
The scheme will start on 5 June 2023. Each licence costs £700 and will last for five years.
You only need a licence if your property is in one of the 25 affected wards.
Read a list of the 25 affected wards
Exemptions to the scheme
You won’t need a new selective licence if your property is:
- licensed as an HMO
- managed directly by an educational establishment
- let by a registered social landlord such as a housing association
You can find a full list of exemptions on the UK legislation website.
Check if you need an additional HMO licence
Enforcing the new scheme
We will start to enforce the new scheme from 4 September 2023. This should give landlords time to apply for a licence.
We may take you to court if your property does not have a licence.
The court could give you an unlimited fine or issue a rent repayment order. A rent repayment order means you have to repay rent to any tenant living in an unlicensed property.
Apply for a selective licence
We are now ready to take applications for selective licences. You can only apply for a licence through this website.
Further information
You will have to tell us about any owner or other interested party (such as a mortgage company or freeholder) when you apply for your licence.
A managing agent can apply for a licence for a property with the landlord’s permission.
If you sell your property, any new landlord will have to apply for their own licence. You cannot transfer a licence to someone else.
Landlords will have to pay £700 for a licence for each property that they own in an affected ward. There are no discounts for landlords with more than one property. For example, if you own 10 properties, you will have to pay for 10 licences.
No tacit consent is applicable to this type of application. If you have not heard from us within 28 days of submitting your application, please email us.
There is more about the scheme in our selective licensing policy.
Read our selective licensing policy
Please email us at pl@birmingham.gov.uk if you have any problems with our online application form.
Page last updated: 30 May 2023
