Manchester Selective Licensing: What Private Landlords Need to Know

Manchester City Council runs selective licensing in targeted street clusters within specific wards, not citywide. If your rented property falls inside a designated area, it requires a selective licence; a full application outstanding with the Council is a statutory defence against prosecution while it is considered. The maximum civil penalty for operating an unlicensed property is £40,000 per offence for offences committed since May 2026.

How Manchester's Selective Licensing Works

Selective licensing under Part 3 of the Housing Act 2004 requires every privately rented property in a designated area to hold a licence, regardless of whether it is a single-family let or a shared house. The scheme targets areas where the council has identified problems with anti-social behaviour, poor property conditions, high deprivation, or high crime.

Manchester has introduced designations in three phases:

• Phase 1 (2022–2027): Clayton & Openshaw, Gorton & Abbey Hey (Hyde Road and Ladders areas), Harpurhey (Trinity area). Fees start at £798.
• Phase 2 (2023–2028): Longsight (The Royals), Levenshulme (Matthews Lane), Moss Side & Whalley Range (Great Western Street / Claremont Road), Rusholme (Laindon Road / Dickenson Road and Birch Lane). Standard fee £936.
• Phase 3 (2025–2030): Cheetham (flats above shops, Esmond/Avondale area), Crumpsall (Enver Road), Harpurhey (Whiteway Street), Longsight (Heathcote/Sanby Road and Northmoor Road), Miles Platting & Newton Heath (Droylsden Road and Scotland Street), Moss Side (Viscount Street and Heald Grove). Standard fee £964.

Each designation runs for exactly five years. When it expires, the council must run a fresh public consultation to renew it — your licence does not roll over automatically.

Who Needs a Selective Licence

Every private landlord letting a property inside a designated area needs one. This includes single-family lets, not just HMOs. A property let to one person or a couple still needs a selective licence if it sits inside the boundary.

The main exceptions are social housing tenancies, properties managed by universities under an approved code, and resident landlords with no more than two lodgers. Long leases over 21 years and holiday lets are also exempt.

If your property qualifies as a mandatory HMO (five or more people from two or more households sharing facilities), the HMO licence takes priority and you do not need a separate selective licence — Section 85(1)(a) of the Housing Act 2004 exempts properties already licensed under Part 2.

The Two-Part Fee

Manchester splits every selective licence fee into Part A (application/processing) and Part B (grant/compliance). You pay Part A when you submit the application and Part B only after the council decides to grant the licence.

The Council retains Part A if it refuses an application for fit-and-proper reasons. It provides a full refund if the property was not licensable when you applied and may consider a partial refund if circumstances change before grant. Budget for the full amount from the start — the Part B invoice arrives weeks or months after submission.

What Happens If You Let Without a Licence

Operating an unlicensed property in a designated area is a criminal offence under Section 95(1) of the Housing Act 2004. Manchester City Council can issue civil penalties up to £40,000 per offence (increased from £30,000 under the Renters' Rights Act 2025). Tenants can also apply to the First-tier Tribunal for a Rent Repayment Order covering up to 24 months of rent for offences committed on or after 1 May 2026; earlier offences remain subject to the 12-month limit.

Since Section 21 no-fault evictions were abolished in May 2026, landlords must use Section 8 grounds to regain possession. Ground 6B allows possession in specified enforcement situations, including when a required licence application has been refused or a licence has been revoked; being unlicensed does not automatically block every Section 8 ground.

Our Manchester Landlord Licensing Guide walks through the full designation map, fee schedule, and application process step by step, with a dated compliance checklist you can use offline.

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