Council licensing · West Midlands

Licensing in Stafford

Stafford has no selective or additional licensing scheme in force.

Researched 14 October 2026 · Independently checked 14 October 2026

Check a specific address in Stafford

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 only23

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: None found
Consultation: None open

Licensing schemes

Mandatory HMO licence
In force
Mandatory HMO licensing (Housing Act 2004 Part 2), Stafford Borough Council
Area
National scheme, applies across the whole of Stafford Borough.
Fee
£858 for 5 years
Fees and Charges 2026/27 (PDF last modified 29 May 2026): 5-year licence, first application for properties with up to 8 bedrooms/bedsits £858.15; renewal or subsequent application with no changes £738.70. Accredited landlords get 10% off: £772.55 first application, £664.75 renewal. Properties with 9 or more units pay £32.55 per additional bedroom/bedsit (no discount on additional charges). Returning an incomplete application costs £67.00. Enforcement costs are charged and recovered separately.
Who needs one
HMOs rented to 5 or more people who form more than 1 household, where some or all tenants share toilet, bathroom or kitchen facilities and at least 1 tenant pays rent (or their employer pays it for them).
Exemptions
The council lists properties owned or managed by public services such as the Police, Fire Service and NHS, properties owned or managed by a church, and properties owned and managed by an educational institution for its own students. It also says a self-contained flat within a block of 3 or more flats will not need a licence. A Temporary Exemption Notice of up to 3 months is available where the owner intends to stop renting or reduce occupancy.
Notes
Included because the council publishes its own HMO licence page and fee. No selective or additional licensing scheme was found; the council's HMO page (last updated 30 April 2026) describes only mandatory licensing. Renewals should be submitted two months before expiry, and licences may be granted for shorter periods where there are management concerns. Licences cannot be transferred to another property or person. The page also says smaller shared houses (3 or more people from more than one household) do not need a licence but must still meet licence conditions. The page still quotes a civil penalty of up to £30,000 and says the previous year's rent can be reclaimed through a rent repayment order; both figures predate the Renters' Rights Act 2025 increases.
Apply on the council site
Sources

Article 4 for house shares

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

Council source

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.

The 'Civil Penalty for Housing Act Offences' page (last updated 18 March 2026) links to a Civil Penalties Matrix PDF created in August 2021. It sets a statutory maximum of £30,000 per offence and does not reflect the Renters' Rights Act 2025. For failure to license an HMO (s72(1)/(2)) or a house in a selective licensing area (s95(1)) the starting value is £6,000 for a first offence, £15,000 for a second offence and £24,000 for subsequent offences by the same person or company. Each aggravating factor adds £3,000: high culpability, large housing portfolio, management failings causing anti-social behaviour, and property unlicensed for 12 months or longer. Each mitigating factor deducts £3,000: low culpability, and rapid action to address failings. No penalty may fall below 20% of the starting value after adjustments and income are considered. The council's Forward Plan (page updated 7 October 2026) lists 'Enforcement Powers under the Renters Rights Act 2025 and Housing Act 1988' for a Cabinet decision likely on 10 December 2026, so an updated policy may follow then.

Stafford's civil penalty policy

Consultations

No consultation was recorded when we researched Stafford.

Not yet confirmed

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

Not yet confirmed
No selective or additional licensing designation or consultation was found, but the council's site search returned no results for licensing terms, so absence is inferred from the HMO page and searches rather than a council statement.
Not yet confirmed
The civil penalty matrix (August 2021) still uses the £30,000 maximum. Confirm whether the council has adopted a policy for the Renters' Rights Act 2025 £40,000 maximum and new offences. The Forward Plan (https://www.staffordbc.gov.uk/democratic-services-forward-plan) lists a Cabinet decision on Renters' Rights Act enforcement powers likely on 10 December 2026.
Not yet confirmed
The council does not publish its standard HMO licence conditions online; confirm with the Housing Standards Team (housingstandards@staffordbc.gov.uk).
Not yet confirmed
Article 4 status relies on the national planning data platform and the HMO page; the council has no Article 4 listing page that was found.
Not yet confirmed
Not independently re-checked (verification of 2026-10-14): the absence of a selective or additional scheme (council site search and Forward Plan only; no web search was possible), and whether licence conditions are published anywhere online.

Landlord register

Licensing is separate from the national landlord register. Stafford 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