Landlord licensing in St. Helens 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 basic amenities like a kitchen, bathroom, or toilet. A licence is required for these properties across the St. Helens Council area.

Additional licensing

Additional licensing can extend licensing to smaller HMOs, for example, those with three or four tenants. Designations run for up to five years and are ward or street-specific, so confirm the position for the exact address.

Selective licensing

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.

Typical fees

Licence fees are set by the council and vary depending on the type of licence required and application details. Current fees are outlined in the council's local licensing policy, available on their website.

Towns covered

St. Helens

What this means for you

If you let a property in the St. Helens 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 in North West change regularly, so check the council's own licensing pages before each new tenancy rather than relying on what applied last time. All tenancies in England are now periodic assured tenancies. Whatever the licensing position, landlords must provide a current gas safety record, an EICR no more than five years old, a valid EPC, working smoke and carbon monoxide alarms, deposit protection and prescribed information, and all other required prescribed documents served before the tenancy starts.

Official links

• Licensing pages
• Council website