Licensing in Oldham

Oldham has selective licensing in part of the council area.

Checked 15 Oct 2026

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Licensing, ward by ward

Select a ward to see its name and licensing.

May be covered: check the council's map20

Current ward boundaries from ONS. Some homes are exempt, so check your postcode and the scheme details below.

Selective licensing: Part of the council area
Additional HMO licensing: No
Article 4 on house shares: Yes
Consultation: None open

Licensing schemes

Selective licence
In force
Oldham selective licensing 2022 — Area 1
Area
Only the mapped polygon or polygons labelled LSOA Area 1 in the designation notice. The five-area notice names parts of Alexandra, St Mary’s, St James, Waterhead, Coldhurst, Werneth, Chadderton South, Hollinwood and Medlock Vale collectively; it does not designate those entire wards. Area 1 street/number guidance: oldham.gov.uk . Lists are expressly non-exhaustive and partial. Use the council address map to resolve the boundary.
Runs
From 4 July 2022
Fee
Published standard fee: £582
Current selective fee £582 per property, split £340.34 on completed application and £241.66 if granted. The published conditions require the monitoring/compliance payment within 21 days of grant. Fees are stated as non-refundable once submitted, including sale or ceasing to let. Accreditation is not required. No current early-bird discount is stated.
Who needs one
Privately rented residential properties within the exact numbered area, including smaller HMOs that do not require a Part 2 licence, unless exempt. A property requiring mandatory HMO licensing does not need a second selective licence.
Exemptions
Statutory selective licensing exemptions and temporary exemptions apply; verify the property’s arrangements with the council rather than assuming exemption from a street-list omission.
Apply on the council’s website Licence conditions Council's map or designation
How we checked this
The public notice says designated 1 April 2022 and operative 4 July 2022. Cabinet approved a two-phase approach on 21 March 2022; these five maps are the made first phase, not proof that all proposed second-phase areas became licensable. All five map images in the notice were visually inspected. Individual property numbers and boundaries matter: the street lists expressly say they are not final and an unlisted street may still be included. The exact expiry is left unconfirmed because the notice omits duration and a later council performance report instead describes scheme lifetime to the end of June 2027. Current application guidance requests satisfactory EICR, gas certificate, management arrangements, tenancy agreement and recent address proof, with notification of interested parties. Published conditions address repairs, tenancy/management records, safety documents, waste and antisocial behaviour, UK residence of the licence holder, notification of changes within five working days and access for a condition audit within two weeks of grant. Some published tenancy-document wording predates the RRA; use current law and the actual issued conditions. In April 2025 Council was told that funding had been secured and research commissioned for possible selective expansion with the Greater Manchester Mayor; no further made designation, defined current statutory consultation or confirmed successor was recovered. The previous 2015 scheme ended in stages during 2020 and is not the current geography or a continuous extension.
Sources
Selective licence
In force
Oldham selective licensing 2022 — Area 2
Area
Only the mapped polygon or polygons labelled LSOA Area 2 in the designation notice. The five-area notice names parts of Alexandra, St Mary’s, St James, Waterhead, Coldhurst, Werneth, Chadderton South, Hollinwood and Medlock Vale collectively; it does not designate those entire wards. Area 2 street/number guidance: oldham.gov.uk . Lists are expressly non-exhaustive and partial. Use the council address map to resolve the boundary.
Runs
From 4 July 2022
Fee
Published standard fee: £582
Current selective fee £582 per property, split £340.34 on completed application and £241.66 if granted. The published conditions require the monitoring/compliance payment within 21 days of grant. Fees are stated as non-refundable once submitted, including sale or ceasing to let. Accreditation is not required. No current early-bird discount is stated.
Who needs one
Privately rented residential properties within the exact numbered area, including smaller HMOs that do not require a Part 2 licence, unless exempt. A property requiring mandatory HMO licensing does not need a second selective licence.
Exemptions
Statutory selective licensing exemptions and temporary exemptions apply; verify the property’s arrangements with the council rather than assuming exemption from a street-list omission.
Apply on the council’s website Licence conditions Council's map or designation
How we checked this
The public notice says designated 1 April 2022 and operative 4 July 2022. Cabinet approved a two-phase approach on 21 March 2022; these five maps are the made first phase, not proof that all proposed second-phase areas became licensable. All five map images in the notice were visually inspected. Individual property numbers and boundaries matter: the street lists expressly say they are not final and an unlisted street may still be included. The exact expiry is left unconfirmed because the notice omits duration and a later council performance report instead describes scheme lifetime to the end of June 2027. Current application guidance requests satisfactory EICR, gas certificate, management arrangements, tenancy agreement and recent address proof, with notification of interested parties. Published conditions address repairs, tenancy/management records, safety documents, waste and antisocial behaviour, UK residence of the licence holder, notification of changes within five working days and access for a condition audit within two weeks of grant. Some published tenancy-document wording predates the RRA; use current law and the actual issued conditions. In April 2025 Council was told that funding had been secured and research commissioned for possible selective expansion with the Greater Manchester Mayor; no further made designation, defined current statutory consultation or confirmed successor was recovered. The previous 2015 scheme ended in stages during 2020 and is not the current geography or a continuous extension.
Sources
Selective licence
In force
Oldham selective licensing 2022 — Area 3
Area
Only the mapped polygon or polygons labelled LSOA Area 3 in the designation notice. The five-area notice names parts of Alexandra, St Mary’s, St James, Waterhead, Coldhurst, Werneth, Chadderton South, Hollinwood and Medlock Vale collectively; it does not designate those entire wards. Area 3 street/number guidance: oldham.gov.uk . Lists are expressly non-exhaustive and partial. Use the council address map to resolve the boundary.
Runs
From 4 July 2022
Fee
Published standard fee: £582
Current selective fee £582 per property, split £340.34 on completed application and £241.66 if granted. The published conditions require the monitoring/compliance payment within 21 days of grant. Fees are stated as non-refundable once submitted, including sale or ceasing to let. Accreditation is not required. No current early-bird discount is stated.
Who needs one
Privately rented residential properties within the exact numbered area, including smaller HMOs that do not require a Part 2 licence, unless exempt. A property requiring mandatory HMO licensing does not need a second selective licence.
Exemptions
Statutory selective licensing exemptions and temporary exemptions apply; verify the property’s arrangements with the council rather than assuming exemption from a street-list omission.
Apply on the council’s website Licence conditions Council's map or designation
How we checked this
The public notice says designated 1 April 2022 and operative 4 July 2022. Cabinet approved a two-phase approach on 21 March 2022; these five maps are the made first phase, not proof that all proposed second-phase areas became licensable. All five map images in the notice were visually inspected. Individual property numbers and boundaries matter: the street lists expressly say they are not final and an unlisted street may still be included. The exact expiry is left unconfirmed because the notice omits duration and a later council performance report instead describes scheme lifetime to the end of June 2027. Current application guidance requests satisfactory EICR, gas certificate, management arrangements, tenancy agreement and recent address proof, with notification of interested parties. Published conditions address repairs, tenancy/management records, safety documents, waste and antisocial behaviour, UK residence of the licence holder, notification of changes within five working days and access for a condition audit within two weeks of grant. Some published tenancy-document wording predates the RRA; use current law and the actual issued conditions. In April 2025 Council was told that funding had been secured and research commissioned for possible selective expansion with the Greater Manchester Mayor; no further made designation, defined current statutory consultation or confirmed successor was recovered. The previous 2015 scheme ended in stages during 2020 and is not the current geography or a continuous extension.
Sources
Selective licence
In force
Oldham selective licensing 2022 — Area 4
Area
Only the mapped polygon or polygons labelled LSOA Area 4 in the designation notice. The five-area notice names parts of Alexandra, St Mary’s, St James, Waterhead, Coldhurst, Werneth, Chadderton South, Hollinwood and Medlock Vale collectively; it does not designate those entire wards. Area 4 street/number guidance: oldham.gov.uk . Lists are expressly non-exhaustive and partial. Use the council address map to resolve the boundary.
Runs
From 4 July 2022
Fee
Published standard fee: £582
Current selective fee £582 per property, split £340.34 on completed application and £241.66 if granted. The published conditions require the monitoring/compliance payment within 21 days of grant. Fees are stated as non-refundable once submitted, including sale or ceasing to let. Accreditation is not required. No current early-bird discount is stated.
Who needs one
Privately rented residential properties within the exact numbered area, including smaller HMOs that do not require a Part 2 licence, unless exempt. A property requiring mandatory HMO licensing does not need a second selective licence.
Exemptions
Statutory selective licensing exemptions and temporary exemptions apply; verify the property’s arrangements with the council rather than assuming exemption from a street-list omission.
Apply on the council’s website Licence conditions Council's map or designation
How we checked this
The public notice says designated 1 April 2022 and operative 4 July 2022. Cabinet approved a two-phase approach on 21 March 2022; these five maps are the made first phase, not proof that all proposed second-phase areas became licensable. All five map images in the notice were visually inspected. Individual property numbers and boundaries matter: the street lists expressly say they are not final and an unlisted street may still be included. The exact expiry is left unconfirmed because the notice omits duration and a later council performance report instead describes scheme lifetime to the end of June 2027. Current application guidance requests satisfactory EICR, gas certificate, management arrangements, tenancy agreement and recent address proof, with notification of interested parties. Published conditions address repairs, tenancy/management records, safety documents, waste and antisocial behaviour, UK residence of the licence holder, notification of changes within five working days and access for a condition audit within two weeks of grant. Some published tenancy-document wording predates the RRA; use current law and the actual issued conditions. In April 2025 Council was told that funding had been secured and research commissioned for possible selective expansion with the Greater Manchester Mayor; no further made designation, defined current statutory consultation or confirmed successor was recovered. The previous 2015 scheme ended in stages during 2020 and is not the current geography or a continuous extension.
Sources
Selective licence
In force
Oldham selective licensing 2022 — Area 5
Area
Only the mapped polygon or polygons labelled LSOA Area 5 in the designation notice. The five-area notice names parts of Alexandra, St Mary’s, St James, Waterhead, Coldhurst, Werneth, Chadderton South, Hollinwood and Medlock Vale collectively; it does not designate those entire wards. Area 5 street/number guidance: oldham.gov.uk . Lists are expressly non-exhaustive and partial. Use the council address map to resolve the boundary.
Runs
From 4 July 2022
Fee
Published standard fee: £582
Current selective fee £582 per property, split £340.34 on completed application and £241.66 if granted. The published conditions require the monitoring/compliance payment within 21 days of grant. Fees are stated as non-refundable once submitted, including sale or ceasing to let. Accreditation is not required. No current early-bird discount is stated.
Who needs one
Privately rented residential properties within the exact numbered area, including smaller HMOs that do not require a Part 2 licence, unless exempt. A property requiring mandatory HMO licensing does not need a second selective licence.
Exemptions
Statutory selective licensing exemptions and temporary exemptions apply; verify the property’s arrangements with the council rather than assuming exemption from a street-list omission.
Apply on the council’s website Licence conditions Council's map or designation
How we checked this
The public notice says designated 1 April 2022 and operative 4 July 2022. Cabinet approved a two-phase approach on 21 March 2022; these five maps are the made first phase, not proof that all proposed second-phase areas became licensable. All five map images in the notice were visually inspected. Individual property numbers and boundaries matter: the street lists expressly say they are not final and an unlisted street may still be included. The exact expiry is left unconfirmed because the notice omits duration and a later council performance report instead describes scheme lifetime to the end of June 2027. Current application guidance requests satisfactory EICR, gas certificate, management arrangements, tenancy agreement and recent address proof, with notification of interested parties. Published conditions address repairs, tenancy/management records, safety documents, waste and antisocial behaviour, UK residence of the licence holder, notification of changes within five working days and access for a condition audit within two weeks of grant. Some published tenancy-document wording predates the RRA; use current law and the actual issued conditions. In April 2025 Council was told that funding had been secured and research commissioned for possible selective expansion with the Greater Manchester Mayor; no further made designation, defined current statutory consultation or confirmed successor was recovered. The previous 2015 scheme ended in stages during 2020 and is not the current geography or a continuous extension.
Sources
Mandatory HMO licence
In force
Mandatory HMO licensing
Area
Whole Oldham Council administrative area. The separate planning Article 4 direction excludes the National Park part, which does not change the housing licensing authority boundary.
Fee
Published standard fee: £1,214
Current HMO page: £834 application for a five-bedroom property plus £380 compliance/enforcement payable once the licence is issued, total £1,214. £35.60 for each additional bedroom. Fees are stated as non-refundable once the application is submitted, including sale or cessation of letting. No separate renewal tariff, discount or fee-year commencement was established. A £48 digital register-copy charge is separate from the licence; inspection by appointment is free.
Who needs one
HMOs with five or more people forming two or more households sharing kitchens or bathrooms, subject to statutory exclusions. Smaller HMOs may instead need a selective licence in a designated area.
Exemptions
Statutory HMO exclusions apply. The general HMO definition must not be confused with the narrower mandatory licensing threshold.
Apply on the council’s website
How we checked this
The statutory licence maximum is five years; use the term and occupancy on the actual issued licence. Applicants create an online account and notify legal interested parties. The council requests EICR, gas safety, management statement, tenancy agreement, address proof, floor plans, PAT, fire risk assessment and fire-detection system certificates. Officers check fitness, management and suitability and inspect the property. The current linked HMO standards PDF still contains historical three-storey criteria and older fines; those must not override the current webpage’s five-person test or current legislation. A full current issued conditions template was not established. No current or approved future additional HMO licensing designation, defined live additional consultation or additional scheme ending in the previous twelve months was established in targeted council/committee searches. Selective licensing and planning Article 4 are separate controls.
Sources

Article 4 for house shares

Oldham has an Article 4 direction on HMOs (houses in multiple occupation, or shared houses). Turning a family home into a shared house may need planning permission.

Area: The confirmed C3-to-C4 small-HMO direction covers the whole Oldham borough EXCEPT the part within the Peak District National Park. That exclusion is express in the sealed order, confirmation notice and black-edged plan; the four-page order and map were visually inspected. It does not create a licensing exemption. Cabinet approved proceeding on 22 September 2025, but the sealed instrument records making and sealing on 3 October 2025. It was confirmed 15 December and came into force 1 January 2026. The landing page and confirmation notice call it made 22 September, so the making-date conflict is retained. Large HMOs, new-build HMOs and conversions from other uses remain separate planning matters. Sealed order: https://www.oldham.gov.uk/download/downloads/id/8246/article_4_direction_sealed_document.pdf ; confirmation notice: https://www.oldham.gov.uk/download/downloads/id/8247/article_4_direction_public_notice.docx .
Takes effect: 1 Jan 2026

Council source

Civil penalty policy

The council's policy sets how it decides the size of a fine.

The published financial-penalties policy is the older Housing and Planning Act 2016 framework, using culpability/harm bands and £1,000 aggravating/mitigating adjustments within a band; it does not establish a current RRA matrix. A replacement item titled Oldham Council Policy: Civil penalties for civil contraventions or as an alternative to prosecution is still For Determination in the freshly fetched forward record, now due 30 November 2026: committees.oldham.gov.uk . Search-index summaries still show an earlier 5 October due date; the live record takes precedence. A scheduled item is not adoption. No adopted RRA-specific replacement was established; older penalty ceilings must not be presented as current statutory limits.

Oldham's civil penalty policy

Consultations

We found no consultations when we researched Oldham.

Not yet confirmed

We could not settle these points when we researched Oldham on 15 October 2026. Check them with the council before you rely on them.

Not yet confirmed
Obtain the complete legal designation duration and exact final day for the five current selective areas. The 2022 public notice confirms commencement but gives no expiry, while a later council performance report refers to scheme lifetime to the end of June 2027. Do not silently substitute a third-party July date or infer an exact day from a maximum statutory term.
Not yet confirmed
Confirm any adopted or formally consulted selective expansion/renewal after the 2022 two-phase approach and April 2025 research announcement. A funding/research intention is not a made additional area.
Not yet confirmed
Resolve the Article 4 making-date conflict: the sealed order says 3 October 2025, while landing/confirmation notice refer to 22 September. Confirmed 15 December and effective 1 January 2026 are consistent; the Peak District exclusion is explicit.
Not yet confirmed
Confirm the outcome and operative version of the replacement civil-penalty policy item now due 30 November 2026. The currently published policy is older and the forward item is not final approval.
Not yet confirmed
Confirm the current HMO tariff effective date, renewal arrangements, current issued conditions and any shorter licence term; the linked HMO standards document contains legacy criteria/fines.
Not yet confirmed
For selective licensing, check the exact mapped address. The five street lists expressly say they are guidance and not final lists, and contain number ranges and partial roads; absence from a list does not prove exemption.

Landlord register

The national landlord register is separate from licensing. Oldham is in North West, where registration is planned from 15 May 2027 to 14 August 2027. The regulations are still in draft. Read about the register

Licensing, ward by ward

Licensing schemes

Selective licence

Selective licence

Selective licence

Selective licence

Selective licence

Mandatory HMO licence

Article 4 for house shares

Civil penalty policy

Consultations

Not yet confirmed

Landlord register