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Council licensing · West Midlands

Licensing in Shropshire

Shropshire has no selective or additional licensing scheme in force.

Researched 14 October 2026 · Independently checked 14 October 2026

Check a specific address in Shropshire

We match the postcode to its ward and the schemes below.

Licensing, ward by ward

Tap a ward, or focus it with your keyboard, to see its name and recorded coverage.

  • National rules only72

Current ONS ward boundaries. Exemptions apply. Use the postcode check and scheme details for your property.

Selective licensing
None
Additional HMO licensing
No
Article 4 on house shares
Not yet confirmed
Consultation
None open

Licensing schemes

  • Mandatory HMO licence

    In force

    Mandatory HMO licensing (national scheme, Shropshire fees)

    Area

    The whole Shropshire Council area (national scheme).

    Fee

    £1,458

    From 1 April 2026: payment one £1,055 for up to and including 5 bedrooms plus £176 for each extra bedroom, due with the application and supporting documents (covers administration and processing); payment two £403, due within 28 days of the date of the licence. So £1,458 in total for a 5-bedroom HMO. No discounts are listed. Applicants must supply a criminal record (DBS) certificate issued within the past 3 years and a full fire risk assessment.

    Who needs one
    HMOs occupied by 5 or more people in 2 or more households who share facilities such as a kitchen or bathroom, whatever the number of storeys.
    Exemptions
    The council lists local authority-owned properties; properties owned or managed by public bodies such as registered social landlords, health service bodies or police authorities; and properties regulated by other legislation such as care homes, children's homes and bail houses. Statutory exemptions under Schedule 14, Housing Act 2004 apply.
    Notes
    No selective or additional licensing scheme was found; the council's HMO page describes only the national mandatory scheme. Applications are by a downloadable form ('hmo-app-v10-updated-fees-2026-27') returned to the Housing Enforcement team. The council's HMO amenity standards are being reviewed. Shropshire Council also requires carbon monoxide detectors in rooms with a solid fuel or gas appliance.
    Apply on the council site

    Sources

Article 4 for house shares

Not yet confirmed

Whether Shropshire has an Article 4 direction on house shares.

Council source

Civil penalty policy

The council's policy sets how it decides the size of a fine. The version we found has been updated for the Renters' Rights Act.

Cabinet approved the Shropshire Housing Authority Enforcement Policy and Civil Penalty Policy on 10 June 2026, effective 18 June 2026 (subject to call-in). They adopt the national model policy 'Civil Penalties under the Renters Rights Act 2025 and other housing legislation' (version for authorities with no selective licensing areas). The old and new policies run side by side for six months to finish legacy cases. Failure to obtain an HMO licence (s.72(1)) starts at £17,000, statutory maximum £40,000; a 20% 'Landlord Type' adjustment gives £13,600 downward or £20,400 upward. Mitigating and aggravating factors normally move the penalty by up to 20% of the starting point each. A formal review is due in June 2027. The council's own enforcement policy web page still says 'Updated enforcement and civil penalties policy coming soon'.

Shropshire's civil penalty policy

Consultations

No consultation was recorded when we researched Shropshire.

Not yet confirmed

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

  • Not yet confirmed

    Licence length is not stated on the council's current HMO page or guidance notes. Confirm the standard term (usually up to 5 years).

  • Not yet confirmed

    No HMO Article 4 direction was found, but the council does not state that none exists. A search result (not fetched; the source PDF now returns 404) shows Oswestry Rural Parish Council asked Shropshire Council in September 2025 to start an Article 4 direction for C3 to C4 changes in Oswestry. Confirm the current position with planning policy.

  • Not yet confirmed

    The adopted 2026 civil penalty policy is published only in Cabinet papers; the council's web page still says an update is 'coming soon'.

  • Not yet confirmed

    Not independently re-checked (verification of 2026-10-14): the absence of a C3 to C4 Article 4 direction (the council's conservation-area page and planning.data.gov.uk only); the absence of a selective or additional scheme (HMO page, civil penalty policy wording and Cabinet agendas only; no web search was possible); and the licence length, which the current HMO page does not state.

Landlord register

Licensing is separate from the national landlord register. Shropshire 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