Landlord licensing in Flintshire Council

Licensing at a glance

HMO licensing

Mandatory HMO licensing applies to larger shared houses. Separately, every landlord and agent must register with Rent Smart Wales, obtaining a licence if they self-manage properties.

Additional licensing

Additional licensing can apply to smaller HMOs, including those with fewer than five occupants, if designated by the council. This is separate from Rent Smart Wales registration.

Selective licensing

Selective licensing may apply to all privately rented properties in specific areas designated by the council, requiring a licence from Flintshire Council in addition to Rent Smart Wales registration.

Towns covered

Flintshire

What this means for you

If you let a property in the Flintshire 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 with Rent Smart Wales. This includes obtaining a licence if you self-manage the property. 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 evidence for every Flintshire 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