# Licensing in Pendle

> Pendle has no selective or additional licensing scheme in force.

- Checked 26 Oct 2026 (researched_at 2026-10-26, verified_at 2026-10-26)
- Region: North West
- ONS code: E07000122
- Web page: https://lettance.com/councils/pendle
- API: https://lettance.com/api/v1/councils/pendle

## Licensing schemes

### Mandatory HMO licence: Mandatory HMO licensing (Pendle fees)

- Status: In force (`in_force`)
- Area: Whole borough of Pendle (national scheme).
- Fee: Published standard fee: £886. Council page: 'The licence fee is in two parts: Application fee of £590; Licence fee of £296' (total £886). The page does not show a date or per-room charge, though it says rooms counted include bedrooms, living rooms and communal rooms.
- Licence length: 5 years
- Who needs one: HMOs with five or more tenants forming two or more households who share facilities, regardless of storeys, and qualifying flats in blocks of up to two flats (national mandatory test since 1 October 2018, as described on the council page).
- Apply: https://www.pendle.gov.uk/downloads/download/892/houses_in_multiple_occupation_-_licence_forms
- Confidence: Medium
- How we checked this: Application is by paper form returned to housing.standards@pendle.gov.uk. The page says 'The licence is valid for five years and there is a fee.' The page text still describes the pre-2018 three-storey rule alongside the 1 October 2018 extension, so it appears not to have been updated recently; the fee may be out of date.
- Sources: https://www.pendle.gov.uk/info/20091/houses_in_multiple_occupation/115/houses_in_multiple_occupation/2, https://www.pendle.gov.uk/info/20091/houses_in_multiple_occupation/115/houses_in_multiple_occupation

## Article 4 for house shares

Not yet confirmed: whether Pendle has an Article 4 direction on house shares.

Council source: https://www.pendle.gov.uk/downloads/file/5433/whitefield_article_4_direction_further_-_final_direction_and_plan

## Civil penalty policy

The council's policy sets how it decides the size of a fine. The version we found has not been updated for the Renters' Rights Act.

Executive report of 24 August 2017 recommending a 'Policy and Matrix for the use of Civil Penalties' (agreed with the other Pennine Lancashire authorities) for inclusion in the Environmental Health Enforcement Policy. It covers section 72 (HMO licensing) and section 95 (selective licensing) offences with a £30,000 maximum, scored into six bands from Band 1 (£0 to £4,999) to Band 6 (£25,000 to £30,000), starting at each band's mid point, with up to £1,000 per aggravating factor (maximum £5,000). No later version was found.

Policy: https://www.pendle.gov.uk/download/meetings/id/21236/item_12_the_housing_and_planning_act_2016_civil_penalties

## Consultations

We found no consultations when we researched Pendle.

## Not yet confirmed

We could not settle these points when we researched Pendle on 26 October 2026. Check them with the council before you rely on them.

- No current selective or additional licensing scheme was found. Checked: the council's landlords hub and HMO pages (which mention only mandatory HMO licensing), a site search for 'selective licensing' (results only 2015-2017 committee papers), and the council's Renters' Rights Act page. The Colne selective licensing area (parts of Waterside, Vivary Bridge and Horsfield wards) was due to start on 1 July 2017 per a 2017 Executive report; it would have ended by mid-2022 at the latest, more than 12 months ago. The council does not state the absence of a current scheme.
- The HMO fee (£590 + £296) and page wording appear dated; confirm the current fee with the council.
- No civil penalty policy updated for the Renters' Rights Act 2025 was found; the 2017 matrix still uses a £30,000 maximum.
- Absence of an HMO Article 4 direction is inferred from site searches; the council does not publish a complete Article 4 list that was found.

## Landlord register

The national landlord register is separate from licensing. Pendle 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: https://lettance.com/register

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From Lettance: https://lettance.com/councils/pendle (catalogue edition 31 October 2026). This is information, not legal advice. Check the linked sources, and the council's own pages, before you act.