Landlord licensing in Knowsley Council

Licensing at a glance

HMO licensing

Mandatory HMO licensing applies to properties with five or more tenants from two or more households who share facilities. The entire Knowsley Council area is covered by a borough-wide additional licensing scheme for HMOs with three or four tenants forming two or more households, effective from 1 April 2024.

Additional licensing

An additional licensing scheme covers the entire borough for Houses in Multiple Occupation (HMOs) with three or four tenants forming two or more households, which started on 1 April 2024 and runs for five years.

Selective licensing

Knowsley Council operates a borough-wide selective licensing scheme covering all privately rented properties, including single-family lets. This scheme commenced on 1 April 2024 and runs for five years.

Typical fees

Mandatory HMO Licence: £998 for a five-year licence. Additional HMO Licence: £998 for a five-year licence. Selective Licence: £998 for a five-year licence. Discounts may be available for early applications or accredited landlords.

Towns covered

Knowsley

What this means for you

If you let a property in the Knowsley Council area, the first job 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. Designations, fees and boundaries change regularly, so check the council's own licensing pages before each new tenancy rather than relying on what applied last time. The Renters' Rights Act 2025 (main provisions commence 2026) replaces fixed-term assured shorthold tenancies with periodic assured tenancies, ends section 21 no-fault evictions and introduces a national landlord database and ombudsman. Whatever the licensing position, keep the same evidence pack for every Knowsley 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