Licensing in East Staffordshire

• Selective licence

  In force

  East Staffordshire Borough Council designation of an area for selective licensing (Selective Licensing Scheme 2022)

  Area

  Nine streets in Burton upon Trent: Blackpool Street, Branston Road, Broadway Street, Goodman Street, King Street, Queen Street, Shobnall Street, Uxbridge Street and Waterloo Street.

  Runs

  12 September 2022 to 11 September 2027

  Fee

  £544 for 5 years

  New licence for a single property £544; HMO not subject to mandatory licensing £666; renewal £351 (for properties licensed under the previous scheme, if a full and valid application arrives within 6 weeks of the licence renewal date). Discounts: accredited landlord -£50; introductory -£100 (complete applications within 6 weeks of the required application period); multiple properties -£50 for the second and later properties. No discounts for invalid applications, applications more than 6 weeks after the property became licensable, or renewals of an already-expired licence (which pay the new-licence fee). An invoice is sent after the application is received.

  Who needs one

  Any house or flat let or occupied under a tenancy or licence on the designated streets, including HMOs that do not need a mandatory HMO licence.

  Exemptions

  Properties with a mandatory HMO licence, plus the exemptions in the Selective Licensing of Houses (Specified Exemptions) (England) Order 2006.

  Notes

  The designation was made on 30 May 2022 under a general approval, came into force on 12 September 2022 and has effect until 11 September 2027. It followed a pilot scheme that ran from 12 September 2017 to 11 September 2022, and some of the current streets were in that earlier scheme. A licence lasts up to five years from when it comes into force. The council's page still says failure to licence could lead to a civil penalty of £30,000, but its 2026 civil penalty policy and the 2026 designation notice use the Renters' Rights Act maximum of £40,000. This scheme overlaps in time with the new 2026 scheme (from 1 January 2027), which covers different streets.

  Apply on the council siteLicence conditionsDesignation or map

  Sources

  • eaststaffsbc.gov.uk: selective licensing scheme
  • eaststaffsbc.gov.uk: PublicNotice (PDF)
  • eaststaffsbc.gov.uk: Selective licensing policy v8 (PDF)

• Mandatory HMO licence

  In force

  Mandatory HMO licensing (Housing Act 2004 Part 2)

  Area

  National scheme, applies across the whole borough.

  Fee

  £1,110 for 5 years

  Priced by number of bedrooms: 1-5 bedrooms £1,110 (Part 1 £333 + Part 2 £777); 6-10 bedrooms £1,359 (£408 + £951); 11+ bedrooms £1,613 (£485 + £1,128).

  Who needs one

  HMOs with 5 or more occupants forming 2 or more households.

  Notes

  Included because the council publishes its own fee table. Under the council's 2025 HMO policy, a licence is valid for a maximum of five years. The council's HMO licence page still says the penalty for not licensing is a civil penalty of up to £30,000 and rent repayment of up to 12 months, which predates the Renters' Rights Act. To apply, renew or change an existing licence, landlords complete the 2025 application form linked from the council's HMO licence page.

  Apply on the council siteLicence conditions

  Sources

  • eaststaffsbc.gov.uk: houses multiple occupation licence
  • eaststaffsbc.gov.uk: houses multiple occupation
  • eaststaffsbc.gov.uk: ESBC HMO policy document 2025 (PDF)

• Selective licence

  Approved, not started

  East Staffordshire Borough Council Designation of an Area for Selective Licensing 2026

  Area

  Sixteen streets in Burton upon Trent: Anglesey Road, Belvedere Road, Byrkley Street, Calais Road, Derby Street, Edward Street, High Street, Horninglow Road, Horninglow Road North, Oak Street, Princess Street, Shobnall Road, Thornley Street, Victoria Crescent, Wetmore Road and Wyggeston Street.

  Runs

  1 January 2027 to 30 December 2031

  Fee

  £700 for 5 years. Early application: £550

  New licence for a single property: Part 1 £400 + Part 2 £300 = £700. HMO not subject to mandatory licensing: £400 + £400 = £800. Discounts: early application -£150 (valid application within 6 weeks of the scheme coming into force, or within 6 weeks of a property becoming licensable through a change of tenure; para 5.22 of the 14 September 2026 Cabinet report limits it to 'landlords that have been identified as compliant'); accredited landlord -£50 (member of a nationally recognised accreditation scheme, for the first 3 months of the scheme or properties let for the first time thereafter); multiple properties -£50 for the second and later applications submitted together. The early-bird figure is the £700 fee less the £150 early application discount, for eligible landlords only. The fee table is in para 6.4 of the 14 September 2026 Cabinet report. Only Part 1 is payable if a licence is refused.

  Who needs one

  Any house or flat let or occupied under a tenancy or licence on the 16 designated streets, including HMOs that do not need a mandatory HMO licence.

  Exemptions

  HMOs needing a licence under Part 2 of the Housing Act 2004; tenancies or licences granted by a registered provider of social housing or registered social landlord; houses under an Interim or Final Management Order; houses with a temporary exemption under s86; and tenancies or buildings exempt under the Act and SI 2006/370.

  Notes

  Cabinet approved the scheme on 14 September 2026. The designation was made on 22 September 2026 under the 2024 General Approval (no Secretary of State confirmation needed). It comes into force on 1 January 2027, and the notice says it 'shall cease to have effect on 31st December 2031', so end_date is 30 December 2031, the last day in force, unless it is revoked earlier. The 10-week consultation ran from 23 January to 3 April 2026 and drew over 600 responses. The council asks landlords not to apply until it confirms the application process is open. The designation notice cites a financial penalty of up to £40,000 for failure to licence. Licence length is taken from the council's selective licensing policy (a maximum of five years).

  Designation or map

  Sources

  • eaststaffsbc.gov.uk: selective licensing scheme
  • eaststaffsbc.gov.uk: PN Designation 2026 v1 (PDF)
  • eaststaffsbc.gov.uk: Selective Licensing Consultation Response Report 2026 (PDF)
  • eaststaffsbc.gov.uk: CAB 260914 09a Selective Licensing Scheme Designation (PDF)

Council source

East Staffordshire's civil penalty policy

• Selective Licensing Consultation 2026 (16 streets in Burton upon Trent)Approved

  Closed 3 April 2026

These points were unresolved when we researched East Staffordshire on 14 October 2026. Check them with the council before you rely on them.

• Not yet confirmed

  The 2026 scheme's application form and licence conditions were not yet published; the council says applications open later for the 1 January 2027 start.

• Not yet confirmed

  Both selective schemes are street-based, so ward lists are not given. A property match needs the street name, and the street maps should be checked for partial-street coverage.

• Not yet confirmed

  The council's selective licensing and HMO web pages still quote a £30,000 civil penalty and 12-month rent repayment; the 2026 civil penalty policy and designation notice use £40,000.

• Not yet confirmed

  Not independently re-checked (verification of 2026-10-14): the 14 September 2026 Cabinet decision minutes, which are not yet published (next Cabinet 19 October 2026), although the 22 September 2026 designation notice confirms the scheme was made; and the Article 4 order itself, a scanned image, so its 1 April 2023 effective date and Burton upon Trent settlement boundary rest on the council's HMO information page.

Licensing is separate from the national landlord register. East Staffordshire is in West Midlands, where the planned registration window runs from 15 December 2026 to 14 March 2027. The regulations are still in draft. Register dates, fee and documents