DASH Accreditation Nottingham: How to Get the Licence Fee Discount

What Is DASH Accreditation?

DASH (Decent and Safe Homes) is the regional accreditation body recognised by Nottingham City Council under the Nottingham Rental Standard. Completing DASH landlord training qualifies you as an "accredited landlord" for the purposes of property licensing fees — and accredited landlords pay significantly less.

The training costs £65 and is available online. It covers housing standards, landlord responsibilities, and compliance basics. It's not an exam — it's a training course that validates your status as an informed, engaged landlord.

How Much Does the Discount Save?

The savings depend on which licence you're applying for. The discount applies to the Part B fee — the second-stage payment demanded after the council decides to grant your licence.

Selective Licensing (Scheme 2):

Additional / Mandatory HMO Licensing (up to 9 bedrooms):

The DASH course costs £65. So for a single selective licence, you invest £65 and save £191 — a net saving of £126. For a single HMO licence, the net saving is £332. For a landlord with two or three licensed properties, the return multiplies.

Who Else Qualifies for the Discount?

DASH isn't the only accreditation body Nottingham City Council recognises. Two others qualify:

• Unipol Student Homes — specialised accreditation for student properties in Nottingham
• ANUK (Accreditation Network UK) — national accreditation standards for managed student accommodation

If you already hold Unipol or ANUK accreditation, you qualify for the same discounted fee tier without needing separate DASH training.

NRLA (National Residential Landlords Association) membership is a different matter. NRLA membership provides access to compliance advice, tenancy templates, and a helpline, but it isn't listed as a qualifying accreditation for Nottingham's fee discount. If you hold NRLA accreditation specifically and want to use it for a Nottingham licence discount, verify directly with the council's Housing Licensing team — the recognised bodies under the Nottingham Rental Standard are DASH, Unipol, and ANUK.

When to Get Accredited

Complete your accreditation before you submit your licence application. The fee tier is set at the point of application. If you apply as a standard non-accredited landlord, you'll be invoiced at the standard Part B rate. Getting DASH-accredited after submitting won't retroactively change your fee category for that application.

If you're planning to apply for licences on multiple properties, do the training first and apply for all of them under the accredited tier. The £65 investment pays for itself on the first application.

The Less Compliant Tier

At the other end of the scale, landlords with a history of housing enforcement action, failed inspections, or extensive council chasing face the "less compliant" fee tier:

• Selective: £1,318 (vs £759 accredited)
• HMO: £2,180 (vs £1,210 accredited)

The gap between accredited and less compliant is £559 on a selective licence and £970 on an HMO licence. Maintaining accreditation and a clean compliance record keeps you at the lowest possible cost.

The Broader Benefit

Beyond the fee discount, accreditation signals to the council that you're a lower-risk applicant. Nottingham City Council uses a risk-assessed inspection regime — properties submitted under the accredited tier are lower priority for pre-grant inspections, while non-accredited or less-compliant applications are more likely to trigger a physical inspection.

Accredited landlords can still be inspected; accreditation puts their applications at lower priority for pre-grant inspections.

Our Nottingham landlord licensing guide includes a full accreditation ROI breakdown and a fee payment log that maps Part A and Part B amounts for each tier, so you can plan the exact costs before committing to an application.

See more England guides →