Landlord licensing in Cheltenham Council

Licensing at a glance

HMO licensing

Mandatory HMO licensing applies to any property let to five or more people forming two or more households who share a kitchen, bathroom, or toilet. Cheltenham Council also has an Additional HMO Licensing scheme.

Additional licensing

Cheltenham Council operates an Additional HMO Licensing scheme that requires all Houses in Multiple Occupation occupied by three or four unrelated people forming two or more households to be licensed.

Selective licensing

Cheltenham Council introduced a Selective Licensing scheme on 1 February 2024 for all privately rented properties in the St Paul's ward. This requires a licence for every private rented home in this designated area, including single-family lets.

Towns covered

Cheltenham

What this means for you

If you let a property in the Cheltenham Council area, the first step is to confirm which licensing regime the exact address falls under. Mandatory HMO licensing applies to any property let to five or more people forming two or more households who share a kitchen, bathroom, or toilet. Additional licensing can extend licensing to smaller HMOs. Designations run for up to five years and are ward- or street-specific, so confirm the position for the exact address. Selective licensing can require a licence for every private rented home in a designated area, including single-family lets. Check the current designations before you advertise. The Renters' Rights Act 2025 (main provisions commencing 2026) requires all landlords to register on the national landlord database. Whatever the licensing position, maintain the same evidence pack for every Cheltenham 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