Landlord licensing in Blaenau Gwent Council

Licensing at a glance

HMO licensing

Mandatory HMO licensing applies to larger shared houses, and every landlord and agent must also register (and be licensed to self-manage) with Rent Smart Wales.

Additional licensing

Additional licensing can extend licensing to smaller HMOs in designated areas, on top of Rent Smart Wales duties.

Selective licensing

Selective licensing may apply in designated areas in addition to Rent Smart Wales licensing.

Typical fees

Rent Smart Wales licensing fees apply to all landlords and agents. As of late 2024, landlord registration costs £37 if done online, or £49 for paper applications. Landlord licensing, required for self-managing landlords, costs £144. Agent licensing costs £144. Fees are subject to change, so consult the Rent Smart Wales website for the most current information. Mandatory, additional, and selective licensing schemes set their own fees which are determined by Blaenau Gwent Council.

Towns covered

Blaenau Gwent

What this means for you

If you let a property in the Blaenau Gwent Council area, the first job is to confirm which licensing regime the exact address falls under. Mandatory HMO licensing applies to larger shared houses, and every landlord and agent must also register and be licensed to self-manage with Rent Smart Wales. Additional licensing can extend licensing to smaller HMOs in designated areas, on top of Rent Smart Wales duties. Selective licensing may apply in designated areas in addition to Rent Smart Wales licensing. Designations, fees and boundaries in Wales change regularly, so check the council's own licensing pages before each new tenancy rather than relying on what applied last time. Welsh lets are governed by the Renting Homes (Wales) Act 2016: occupation contracts, written statements within 14 days, and fitness for human habitation duties including electrical safety and alarms. Whatever the licensing position, keep the same evidence pack for every Blaenau Gwent Council tenancy: a current gas safety record where there is gas, an EICR no more than five years old, a valid EPC, working smoke and carbon monoxide alarms, deposit protection and prescribed information, and the required prescribed documents served before the tenancy starts.

Official links

• Licensing pages
• Council website