Selective Licensing in Stoke-on-Trent: Current Status and What Landlords Need to Know

If you have been searching for information about selective licensing in Stoke-on-Trent, you have probably found a confusing mix of old scheme details, expired pages, and news about potential future plans. Here is the straightforward position.

No Selective Licensing Scheme Is Currently Active

Stoke-on-Trent City Council ran a selective licensing scheme covering designated areas of Fenton and Cobridge under Part 3 of the Housing Act 2004. That scheme expired on 4 August 2019. It has not been renewed, replaced, or extended.

If you let a single-family home to one household in Stoke-on-Trent — whether in Fenton, Cobridge, or anywhere else in the city — you do not need a property licence from the council today.

Why There Is So Much Confusion

Three things muddy the water:

Old web content. Articles, forum threads, and even some council-linked pages still reference the 2014–2019 Fenton and Cobridge scheme. Search engines surface these pages alongside current information, making it look as though the scheme is still running.

The 2024 General Approval. In December 2024, the government revoked the 2015 General Approval and removed the requirement for councils to seek ministerial confirmation before introducing large selective licensing schemes. Several councils across England have used this change to propose new schemes, and news coverage about those proposals sometimes gets confused with Stoke-on-Trent's position.

The August 2026 cabinet proposals. Stoke-on-Trent's Cabinet approved an Article 4 Direction, which took immediate effect on 23 October 2026 for new small HMO conversions. The Direction is under consultation until 20 November, after which the council will decide whether to confirm it. Separately, Cabinet approved a potential additional HMO licensing scheme (targeting smaller shared houses with three or four occupants) subject to consultation and detailed design. These are separate from selective licensing — additional HMO licensing is under Section 56, not Part 3 — and the additional licensing proposal is not active law.

Could Selective Licensing Come Back?

It could. The 2024 General Approval makes it easier for any council to introduce a selective scheme without ministerial sign-off. But the statutory requirements still apply: the council must demonstrate that a designated area meets at least one of the qualifying conditions (low housing demand, anti-social behaviour, poor housing conditions, high crime, severe deprivation, or significant migration), conduct a 10-week public consultation, and give three months' notice before the scheme takes effect.

If Stoke-on-Trent decides to bring back selective licensing, there would be a formal consultation period, public notice, and a clear commencement date. Landlords would not be caught without warning.

What Licensing Actually Applies Right Now?

The only property licensing scheme currently in force in Stoke-on-Trent is mandatory HMO licensing under Part 2 of the Housing Act 2004. It applies to properties occupied by five or more people forming two or more separate households who share basic facilities. Single-family lets are not caught.

What About the PRS Database?

Separately from licensing, the national Private Rented Sector Database is rolling out across England under the Renters' Rights Act 2025. The West Midlands registration window opens on 15 December 2026 with a compliance deadline of 14 March 2027. This is a national registration requirement — an annual £65 filing fee per property — and applies to all private landlords regardless of whether their property is licensed. It is not the same as selective licensing and does not replace it.

The Stoke-on-Trent Landlord Licensing Guide explains which licensing schemes are active, which are proposed, and which are expired — so you know exactly what obligations apply to your property right now.

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