Manchester Selective Licensing in 2026

Selective licensing is a power given to local authorities by Part 3 of the Housing Act 2004. Unlike HMO licensing, which targets shared housing, selective licensing covers every private rented dwelling in a designated area, whether single-family lets, flats, or shared houses below the HMO threshold.

The council can only designate an area where one or more of the following conditions apply: low housing demand, significant anti-social behaviour, poor housing conditions, high migration, high crime, or high deprivation. Designations last up to five years and must be confirmed by the Secretary of State if they cover more than 20 percent of the local authority area or more than 20 percent of private rented homes.

Manchester City Council has run selective licensing schemes in multiple wards since 2017. Areas that have been covered include:

• Crumpsall
• Moss Side
• Old Moat
• Rusholme
• Fallowfield
• Levenshulme (in earlier schemes)

Schemes are time-limited and not all of these are currently live. The council periodically declares new designations and lets older ones expire. Always check the council's current map and street-level boundary list before letting. PropReady flags properties whose address falls within a known designation.

Inside a designated area, you need a selective licence if:

• You let the property under any private residential tenancy (assured shorthold, assured, family arrangement for rent)
• The property is not already covered by a mandatory or additional HMO licence
• The property is not exempt (such as student accommodation managed by an educational establishment, or temporary accommodation provided by the council)

You are the duty-holder if you are the legal owner. Letting agents do not hold licences in their own right; the licence is granted to the named landlord.

Manchester's selective licence fee is typically around £700 for a five-year licence, with a discounted rate for accredited landlords. The fee is split into a non-refundable application charge and a grant charge payable once the licence is approved.

The application process:

1. Apply online through the council's licensing portal
2. Submit proof of ownership, identity, and Right to Rent compliance
3. Provide current EPC, Gas Safety Record, and Electrical Installation Condition Report
4. Pay the application fee
5. The council may inspect the property
6. If granted, the licence runs for five years from the date of issue

Processing typically takes six to ten weeks. Existing landlords inside a new designation usually get a transitional window to apply.

Selective licence conditions are property-management focused. Standard conditions include:

• Provide each tenant with a written tenancy agreement
• Carry out written Right to Rent checks
• Maintain gas, electrical, and smoke alarm safety throughout the licence term
• Respond to anti-social behaviour reports from neighbours within agreed timescales
• Keep the property in reasonable repair
• Provide tenants with a written complaints procedure

The council can attach property-specific conditions if it identifies particular risks. Breaching a condition can lead to civil penalties even where the property is still licensed.

The Renters' Rights Act 2025 sits on top of selective licensing, not in place of it. Specifically:

• Your property still needs a valid selective licence after 1 May 2026
• All your tenancies become assured periodic, which does not affect the licence
• You must register on the PRS Database when it opens, listing your selective licence number on each affected property's record
• An unlicensed property cannot reliably claim Section 8 possession; the court can refuse the order
• Rent Repayment Orders are available to tenants for both the licensing breach and any RRA breach, and the two can stack