Licensing in Ashfield

• Selective licence

  In force

  Ashfield District Council Designation of Stanton Hill and Sutton Central for Selective Licensing Phase 2

  Area

  Named streets in two areas only, per Annex A of the public notice: Sutton Central (New Cross), Sutton in Ashfield: Chatsworth Street, St Michaels Street, Outram Street, North Street, Downing Street, Beighton Street, Morley Street, Lime Street, East Street, Stoney Street, Walton Street, Priestsic Road (spelt 'Preistsic Road', '16-80 Evens side' only), Bentinck Street, Park Street and Portland Street. Stanton Hill: Brand Lane, Institute Street, Cooperative Street, Victoria Street, Albert Street, 'New Lane (Longden Terrace)', High Street, Cross Row and Stoneyford Road ('only 317-335'). Not whole wards. Priestsic Road and Stoneyford Road are only partly designated, and only the 'Longden Terrace' part of New Lane is named, so the street list cannot be matched by road name alone. Names such as High Street, North Street, Victoria Street and Park Street also occur elsewhere in the district; only the stretches in these two areas are designated. Confirm the address on the council's area maps (Sutton Central and Stanton Hill).

  Runs

  25 July 2022 to 23 July 2027. The council notice says it ceases to have effect on 24 July 2027

  Fee

  Published standard fee: £350

  Ashfield Fees and charges (Private Sector Licensing, 2026 to 2027 index): 'Selective Licensing £350.00'; 'Selective Licensing if licence holder is a member of an approved body £250.00' (for example DASH accreditation). Paid in full with the online application; non-refundable. A change of ownership needs a new application and fee.

  Who needs one

  Any house let or occupied under a tenancy or licence on the listed streets, including each rented self-contained flat, unless it is an HMO requiring a mandatory (Part 2) licence or is otherwise exempt. A shared house with fewer than five tenants needs one selective licence for the property.

  Exemptions

  Per the public notice: houses requiring a Part 2 (HMO) licence; houses under a temporary exemption notice (s.86) or a management order; tenancies granted by registered providers of social housing or registered social landlords; and exempt tenancies under the Selective Licensing of Houses (Specified Exemptions) (England) Order 2006 (the scheme guide lists business tenancies, holiday lets, certain long leases, and homes occupied by close family members of the owner). Exemptions must be claimed with the council's Licence Exemption Form and evidence.

  Apply on the council’s websiteLicence conditionsCouncil's map or designation
  ›How we checked this

  Public notice (dated 11 April 2022): designated on 5 April 2022 under the 2015 General Approval; it 'will come into force on 25th July 2022 and unless revoked under section 84 of the Act, this designation shall cease to have effect on 24th July 2027.' That cessation date is one day before the fifth anniversary, so end_date is 23 July 2027 and ceases_on is 24 July 2027. The council's selective licensing page (updated 9 April 2026) says the designation 'is expected to run until 25 July 2027'; the scheme guide says licences last 'up to 24 July 2027'. This is the second (Phase 2) scheme; the first ran from February 2017 for five years. Area maps: Stanton Hill ashfield.gov.uk and Sutton Central (map_url). Licences run for the remainder of the designation rather than a fixed five years. Unlicensed letting can lead to a civil penalty or prosecution.

  Sources

  • ashfield.gov.uk: selective licensing
  • ashfield.gov.uk: selective licensing scheme guide
  • ashfield.gov.uk: public notice selective licensing scheme.docx
  • ashfield.gov.uk: fees and charges
  • ashfield.gov.uk: list of streets selective licencing phase 2 2022.docx

• Mandatory HMO licence

  In force

  Mandatory HMO licensing (national scheme, Ashfield fees)

  Area

  Whole of Ashfield District (national scheme).

  Fee

  Published standard fee: £1,031.10

  Ashfield Fees and charges (Private Sector Licensing): 'Initial basic licence fee (covering premises of up to 6 persons maximum permitted occupancy) £1031.10'; 'For each additional person (maximum permitted occupancy) £91.35'; renewal 'Higher of £606 or £121 per person' up to 6 persons plus £91.35 per additional person; HMO pre-licence advice visit £500; temporary exemption notice £330.75 (first), £164.85 (second).

  Who needs one

  HMOs occupied by five or more people forming two or more households sharing facilities (national mandatory licensing). The council's April 2026 report records 132 licensed HMOs.

  Apply on the council’s websiteLicence conditions
  ›How we checked this

  The HMO page links online new and renewal applications, the HMO register (dated 4 August 2026) and an amenity standards guide. It states failing to licence can lead to an unlimited fine or a civil penalty of up to £30,000 (this wording predates the Renters' Rights Act maxima now used in the civil penalty policy).

  Sources

  • ashfield.gov.uk: houses in multiple occupation
  • ashfield.gov.uk: fees and charges
  • ashfield.moderngov.co.uk: Houses in Multiple Occupation (PDF)

We found no Article 4 direction on house shares in Ashfield.

Council source

Ashfield's civil penalty policy

We found no consultations when we researched Ashfield.

We could not settle these points when we researched Ashfield. Check them with the council before you rely on them.

• Not yet confirmed

  Cabinet resolved on 22 September 2025 to 'review the current licensing arrangements for Houses in Multiple Occupation (HMOs) to consider extending the requirements for a licence beyond the current mandatory requirements to additionally include HMOs with 3 or 4 occupants'. No additional licensing consultation or designation was found in the April 2026 update report or in moderngov searches for 'additional licensing'; re-check for a consultation.

• Not yet confirmed

  Confirm whether the Phase 2 selective designation is still covered on 24 July 2027 (the notice says it ceases to have effect on that day; the council web page says it runs until 25 July 2027) and whether a Phase 3 renewal consultation is planned. An evaluation report of the earlier scheme was uploaded in September 2025.

• Not yet confirmed

  The Article 4 direction(s) for small HMOs are in preparation; no made direction, area or consultation dates were found.

• Not yet confirmed

  Exact extents of the partial streets (Priestsic Road 16-80 evens; Stoneyford Road 317-335; New Lane at Longden Terrace) must be read from the council's two area maps; street-name matching is not used for this scheme.

The national landlord register is separate from licensing. Ashfield is in East Midlands, where registration is planned from 15 February 2027 to 14 May 2027. The regulations are still in draft. Read about the register