Manchester Selective Licensing Fees: Part A, Part B, and Discounts Explained

Manchester's selective licensing fees vary depending on which phase your property falls under and when you apply. Every fee is split into two parts, and the early bird windows for all three phases have now closed. Here is the full breakdown as of the current scheme rules.

Fees by Phase

Phase 1 (2022–2027): Clayton, Openshaw, Gorton, Harpurhey

Phase 2 (2023–2028): Longsight, Levenshulme, Moss Side, Rusholme

Phase 3 (2025–2030): Cheetham, Crumpsall, Harpurhey, Longsight, Miles Platting, Moss Side

How the Two-Part Split Works

Part A covers the council's cost of processing your application — checking documents, running the fit-and-proper assessment, and administrative handling. You pay it upfront when you submit the application through the online portal.

Part B covers ongoing scheme management, compliance monitoring, inspections, and enforcement. The council invoices Part B only after it decides to grant the licence. You receive a "minded to grant" notice first, then the Part B payment request.

Part A is generally retained to cover processing costs. Manchester provides a full refund if the property was not licensable when you applied, and may consider a partial refund if circumstances change before grant; see the refund rules below. Budget for the full total from the start, but understand that the Part B invoice may arrive weeks or months after your initial payment.

Subsequent Property Discounts

If you are applying for licences on multiple properties within the same phase, the second and subsequent applications qualify for a reduced Part A fee. The Part B amount stays the same. The discount applies per phase — a licence in a 2022 area and a licence in a 2025 area are treated as separate schemes, so the discount does not stack across phases.

No Accreditation Discount on Selective

Manchester City Council does not currently offer additional reductions on selective licensing fees for NRLA accreditation or membership of other landlord bodies. The only available discounts are the early bird rate (now expired for all phases) and the subsequent property reduction.

Mandatory HMO licensing is separate — Manchester offers a £200 renewal discount for landlords renewing an existing mandatory HMO licence before it expires. That discount does not carry over to selective licensing applications.

Fee Reviews

Manchester City Council reviews its licensing fees as part of annual budget planning. A maximum 5% inflationary uplift is scheduled across 2026/2027 to cover operational delivery costs. Check the council's fees page before applying, as the figures above reflect the rates at designation commencement.

Refund Rules

A full refund is available only if the application was made by mistake for a property that was not licensable — for example, one outside the designated boundary or covered by a statutory exemption. A partial refund may be considered if the property was licensable at submission but circumstances changed before the licence was granted (property sold, owner re-occupied, tenancy surrendered). No refund is issued once a licence has been formally granted.

Our Manchester Landlord Licensing Guide includes a fee calculator covering all three phases, discount eligibility checks, and a payment-tracking log for the two-part split.

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