Selective Licensing in Burnley

If you let a property in parts of Burnley, you may legally need a licence, and letting without one is a criminal offence rather than a paperwork slip. The rules have expanded twice since 2022, and the council is consulting on expanding them again right now.

This page explains which areas are affected, what a licence costs, what you have to do to get one, and what happens if you don’t. We handle selective licensing for the landlords whose properties we manage, so if you’d rather not deal with any of it, skip to the bottom.

What is selective licensing?

Selective licensing lets a council require every private landlord in a designated area to hold a licence for each property they rent out. It is granted under the Housing Act 2004, and councils use it where there is low housing demand, persistent antisocial behaviour, or poor property conditions.

It is not the same as HMO licensing. An HMO licence depends on the type of property. A selective licence depends on where the property is, so a perfectly ordinary two-up two-down needs one if it sits inside a designated area.

Two things catch landlords out. It applies to almost every private tenancy in the area, including a single family in a terraced house. And the duty sits with you, not your tenant and not your agent, unless your agent has formally taken it on.

Which parts of Burnley need a licence right now?

Two schemes are currently running.

The 2022 to 2027 scheme covers Burnley Wood with Healey Wood and Leyland Road. It runs until 20 July 2027.

The 2025 to 2030 scheme covers Trinity, Gannow, Queensgate, Daneshouse and Stoneyholme, and Padiham. It runs until 26 April 2030.

That is seven areas. If your property is in any of them and you let it privately, you almost certainly need a licence already.

Designations follow ward and street boundaries rather than postcodes, and a boundary can run down the middle of a street, so being near a designated area is not the same as being outside it. Check the specific address rather than assuming.

What is changing before 18 October

Burnley Council is consulting on three further designations: renewing Burnley Wood with Healey Wood and Leyland Road, and adding Lyndhurst Road as a brand new licensing area.

Lyndhurst Road is the significant one. It was flagged for monitoring in 2024 and is now proposed for designation, which means landlords there could go from no licensing requirement at all to a full one.

The consultation closes on Sunday 18 October 2026. The council is running six public drop-in sessions across the three areas, with no appointment needed. If you own property in any of them, this is your chance to have a say before it is decided rather than after.

What does a licence cost?

Fees are set per property, not per landlord, so a portfolio in a designated area means a fee for each one.

The exact figure depends on which scheme applies to your address, and fees are reviewed periodically, so it is worth confirming the current amount with the council before you budget. Ask us and we will find it out for you.

Three things are worth knowing whatever the figure. A licence runs for five years, so the annual cost is a good deal lower than the headline suggests. Landlords accredited through the council’s Good Landlord Scheme pay a reduced rate. And if you own several properties in a designated area, there is usually a lower rate for each additional one.