Licensing in Luton

• Selective licence

  In forceMedium confidence

  The Luton Borough Council Designation of an Area for Selective Licensing 2023 (Town Centre and Park Town)

  Area

  The area edged black on the map at Annex A of the designation, which the council describes as the Town Centre and Park Town areas and as 'South ward (old boundary)'. The council publishes a road list for the area; several roads are only partly included (for example Crawley Green Road even numbers 2 to 14, parts of Dumfries Street, Dunstable Road, London Road, New Bedford Road, Wellington Street and Windsor Street), so check the road list or ask the council (selectivelicensing@luton.gov.uk).

  1 ward named in the designation:

  • South

  Ward boundaries: pre-2023 wards (South ward as it stood before the Luton (Electoral Changes) Order 2022 took effect at the May 2023 elections)

  Runs

  1 June 2026 to 3 February 2029

  Fee

  £488 for 5 years

  Full fee from 1 September 2026: £488 per property, flat regardless of size (Part 1 £122 on application, non-refundable; Part 2 £366 before the licence is issued, refundable if the licence is refused), from the council's 'Selective licensing fee structure' (version 1.0, June 2023). The selective licensing page says 'From 1 September the full fee will apply, as stated in the original consultation', but also that the fees 'were originally calculated prior to consultation in 2022, so they will be revised in time to reflect current costs'; the fee structure was linked from the page in July 2026 but is no longer, so check the current figure with the council. One discount per application: £122 for members of a recognised trade body (NRLA, ARLA, ARMA, RICS, NAEA, Safeagent), or £122 with an EPC of band C or above. Minimum fee £122; paper applications £51.60 extra. Each rented self-contained flat needs its own licence at £488. The early bird fee of £150 (Part A £122, Part B £28, no discounts) applied until 31 August 2026 and has ended; applications already paid at that rate will be processed. Fees are pro rata to the months left in the scheme; landlords found operating without a licence pay the full five-year fee.

  Who needs one

  All privately rented residential accommodation in the designated area let to one household (a family, or no more than two unrelated people), unless exempt. Small HMOs (3 or 4 people) in the area need an additional licence instead, and HMOs with 5 or more people need a mandatory HMO licence.

  Exemptions

  The designation excludes HMOs that need a Part 2 licence, tenancies or licences granted by a registered social landlord, houses under an interim or final management order, houses with a temporary exemption notice, and tenancies or buildings exempt under the Act (Annex B). The council's Q&A also lists properties managed by a local housing authority, police, fire and rescue authority, health service body or social provider.

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

  The designation was made on 25 October 2023 and says it 'shall come into force on 5 February 2024' and 'shall cease to have effect on 4 February 2029 or earlier if the council revokes the scheme under section 60 of the act', so the last day in force is 3 February 2029. A judicial review claim by a landlord group stayed implementation. The Court of Appeal upheld the High Court's refusal of permission and refused permission to appeal to the Supreme Court, the stay was lifted, and the council says the scheme 'went live on 1 June 2026'; start_date uses that date. As of 14 October 2026 the council's selective and additional licensing pages say the property licensing application system 'is currently unavailable and licence applications cannot be accepted at this time'. The council says enforcement for failing to hold a selective or additional licence will not start while the system is unavailable, and landlords will get 'a reasonable opportunity to apply' first. Applications already made and paid at the early bird rate will be processed. Landlords who took a refund when the scheme was delayed must reapply. The apply link on the selective page (luton.metastreet.co.uk) redirects to propertylicensing.luton.gov.uk. The selective designation's citation paragraph reads 'designation for an area for additional licensing of houses in multiple occupation 2023', which appears to be a drafting error; its title and the public notice call it 'The Luton Borough Council Designation of an Area for Selective Licensing 2023'.

  Sources

  • luton.gov.uk: selective licensing
  • luton.gov.uk: latest update our selective additional licensing schemes
  • luton.gov.uk: legal documentation relating additional selective licensing schemes
  • luton.gov.uk: selective licensing designation oct 23 (PDF)
  • luton.gov.uk: selective licensing public notice oct 23 (PDF)
  • luton.gov.uk: roads within the selective licensing area (PDF)
  • luton.gov.uk: selective licensing q and a (PDF)
  • luton.gov.uk: licensing schemes private rented properties launch
  • legislation.gov.uk: made

• Additional HMO licence

  In forceMedium confidence

  The Luton Borough Council Designation of an Area for Additional Licensing of Houses in Multiple Occupation 2023

  Area

  The whole of the borough of Luton.

  Runs

  1 June 2026 to 3 February 2029

  Fee

  £520 for 5 years

  Full fee from 1 September 2026, from the council's 'Additional HMO licensing fees' (version 1.0, April 2024; linked from the additional licensing page in July 2026 but no longer): Part 1 £130 on application (non-refundable) plus Part 2 £390 for up to 3 bedrooms (refundable if the licence is refused), so £520 for a 3-bedroom HMO, plus £130 for each bedroom or self-contained flat over 3 (£650 for 4 bedrooms). One discount per application: £130 for members of a recognised trade body (NRLA, ARLA, ARMA, RICS, NAEA, Safeagent), or £130 with an EPC of band C or above. Floor plan drawn by the council £290.40; paper applications £54 extra; minimum fee £130. The council's selective licensing page says its scheme fees will be revised to reflect current costs, so check the current figure. The early bird fee of £150 (Part A £122, Part B £28, no discounts) applied until 31 August 2026 and has ended. Fees are pro rata to the months left in the scheme; unlicensed properties found by the council pay the full five-year fee.

  Who needs one

  HMOs occupied by three or four people forming two or more households who share amenities such as a kitchen, bathroom or toilet, anywhere in Luton. HMOs that need a mandatory licence are excluded.

  Exemptions

  Buildings that are not HMOs under Schedule 14 of the Housing Act 2004 (listed in Annex A of the designation, including buildings managed by a local housing authority, police, fire and rescue authority, health service body or registered social landlord), HMOs under an interim or final management order, HMOs with a temporary exemption notice, and HMOs that need a mandatory licence.

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

  Designation made on 25 October 2023 under section 56. It says it 'shall come into force on 5 February 2024' and 'shall cease to have effect on 4 February 2029 or earlier if the council revokes the scheme under section 60 of the act', so the last day in force is 3 February 2029. The additional licensing page still says it 'came into force on 5 February 2024', but implementation was stayed during the judicial review and the council's news release says the schemes went live on 1 June 2026; start_date uses that date. As with the selective scheme, the online application system was unavailable on 14 October 2026 and the council says it will not enforce the licensing requirement until landlords have had a reasonable opportunity to apply. Small HMOs must still meet the Management of Houses in Multiple Occupation (England) Regulations 2006.

  Sources

  • luton.gov.uk: additional licensing
  • luton.gov.uk: latest update our selective additional licensing schemes
  • luton.gov.uk: legal documentation relating additional selective licensing schemes
  • luton.gov.uk: additional licensing designation oct 23 (PDF)
  • luton.gov.uk: House in multiple occupation (HMO) public notice (2023) (PDF)
  • luton.gov.uk: additional licensing q and a (PDF)
  • luton.gov.uk: licensing schemes private rented properties launch

• Mandatory HMO licence

  In force

  Mandatory HMO licensing (national scheme, Luton fees)

  Area

  The whole of Luton (national scheme).

  Fee

  £1,142.27 for 5 years

  By number of bedrooms, in two parts (Part A on application, non-refundable; Part B before the licence is issued, refundable if refused). 3 bedrooms £705.55 + £436.72 = £1,142.27; 4 £1,348.27; 5 £1,554.27; 6 £1,801.47; 7 £2,058.97; 8 £2,326.77; 9 £2,604.87; 10 £2,893.27; 11 £3,191.97; 12 £3,500.97; 13 £3,820.27; 14 £4,149.87; 15 £4,489.77; 16 £4,839.97; 17 £5,200.47; 18 £5,571.27; 19 £5,952.37; 20 £6,343.77; over 20 bedrooms on request. One discount per application: £124.44 for members of a recognised trade body (NRLA, ARLA, ARMA, RICS, NAEA, Safeagent), or £124.44 with an EPC of band C or above. Floor plans by the council £305.10 incl. VAT; variation £120 incl. VAT; paper application £56.74 incl. VAT. The page gives no effective date and says fees are subject to annual review.

  Who needs one

  Properties anywhere in Luton occupied by five or more people forming two or more households who share amenities such as a bathroom or kitchen.

  Exemptions

  The council lists HMOs owned by housing associations; buildings excluded from the HMO definition (such as police colleges, university halls, religious communities); HMOs regulated by other bodies (such as care or children's homes); owner-occupied properties with no more than two other people; properties occupied by no more than two people; and genuine short-term holiday lets. Premises managed by a local housing authority, police, fire and rescue authority, social provider or health service body are exempt. Charities are not exempt but may ask for a fee review.

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

  This is the national scheme. Luton publishes its own pages and fees. The council says mandatory HMO licensing and enforcement were not affected by the outage of the selective and additional licensing application system. Its mandatory HMO page says operating an unlicensed HMO can lead to an unlimited fine or a civil penalty of up to £40,000, 'increased by the Renters Rights Act 2025 which came into force on 1 May 2026', and that tenants may claim back up to two years' rent. The conditions link is the council's 'Schedule of HMO licensing scheme conditions' published with the additional licensing documents; the mandatory HMO page does not link a separate conditions document.

  Sources

  • luton.gov.uk: mandatory house multiple occupation hmo licensing
  • luton.gov.uk: mandatory house multiple occupation hmo licensing costs

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

Council source

Luton's civil penalty policy

We found no consultations when we researched Luton.

We could not settle these points when we researched Luton on 14 October 2026. Check them with the council before you rely on them.

• Not yet confirmed

  The council's current selective and additional licensing pages show no fee table. The full fees recorded come from fee documents still on the council's website (selective June 2023, additional April 2024) that were linked from the scheme pages in July 2026, and the council says the fees will be revised. Confirm the current fee with the council (PSHEnforcement@luton.gov.uk, 01582 547222).

• Not yet confirmed

  The property licensing application system for the selective and additional schemes was unavailable on 14 October 2026. Check whether it has reopened and when enforcement of the licensing requirement will start.

• Not yet confirmed

  Start date: the designations say they came into force on 5 February 2024, but implementation was stayed until the legal challenge ended and the council says the schemes went live on 1 June 2026. Confirm whether the council treats any period before 1 June 2026 as licensable.

• Not yet confirmed

  The selective area follows the old (pre-May 2023) South ward and the Annex A map; several roads are only partly included. Current-ward coverage could not be mapped from council sources, so addresses need checking against the council's road list or map.

• Not yet confirmed

  No consultation on new or extended licensing schemes was found. The search covered the council's licensing pages and news; the committee system (democracy.luton.gov.uk) was not searched in full.

The national landlord register is separate from licensing. Luton is in East of England, where registration is planned from 15 January 2027 to 14 April 2027. The regulations are still in draft. Read about the register