Back

Licensing exemptions

Find out if your property is exempt from licensing.

Additional licensing exemption

Exemptions to the additional licensing scheme include:

1. Properties let by a local authority or a registered provider (RP), commonly known as a not-for-profit housing association.

2. Properties already under a management order or empty dwelling management order.

3. Properties under a temporary exemption notice.

4. Owners who live in property they own as their main residence (owner-occupiers).

5. Holiday lets and tenancies under a long lease (over 21 years) and business tenancies.

6. A house in multiple occupation (HMO) managed by a registered charity which:

  • is a night shelter
  • is temporary housing for people suffering or recovering from drug or alcohol abuse or a mental disorder

7. A building that a religious community primarily uses for prayer, contemplation, education or helping the suffering.

8. Student accommodation directly managed by educational institutions, for example halls of residence.

9. Homes let to up to two single people who are unrelated.

10. Single family dwellings where a dwelling is occupied by one household.

11. Homes with only one lodger.

12. HMOs where:

  • the building or part of a building is less than three storeys that have been converted into two self-contained flats
  • where both the building and self-contained flats it contains are under different ownership or considered by the council to be effectively under the control of different landlords or agents