Mandatory, additional and selective licensing explained
By Patrick Roper · Last reviewed 2026-06-28
Mandatory licensing is the national rule that any HMO with five or more people from two or more households must be licensed. Additional licensing is an optional council scheme that extends HMO licensing to smaller HMOs. Selective licensing is a council scheme that requires a licence for all privately rented homes in a designated area, whether or not they are HMOs.
- Mandatory
- National — HMOs with 5+ people from 2+ households · source: Housing Act 2004
- Additional
- Council scheme extending licensing to smaller HMOs · source: GOV.UK
- Selective
- Council scheme covering all rented homes in a designated area · source: GOV.UK
- Set by
- Mandatory is national; additional and selective are decided per council · source: GOV.UK
There are three property-licensing regimes in England, and landlords often confuse them. Mandatory HMO licensing is national: any house in multiple occupation with five or more people forming two or more households must be licensed, everywhere.
Additional licensing is an optional scheme a council can introduce to cover HMOs below the mandatory threshold — typically three- or four-person shares. It only applies where, and for as long as, the council designates it.
Selective licensing is different again: it requires a licence for all privately rented homes in a designated area, whether or not they are HMOs, usually to tackle low housing demand or anti-social behaviour. A property can fall under more than one regime at once.
Because additional and selective schemes are local and time-limited, the practical question is always 'what does my council run, where my property is?' — which our checker answers, before we complete and submit the right application for you.
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between additional and selective licensing?
Additional licensing covers smaller HMOs (shared houses below the mandatory threshold). Selective licensing covers all privately rented homes in a designated area, including single-family lets that are not HMOs at all.
Can a property need more than one type of licence?
A property needs one property licence, but which regime it falls under depends on the set-up and area. An HMO in a selective-licensing area is still licensed as an HMO, not under the selective scheme, so getting the classification right matters.
Is mandatory licensing the same in every council?
Yes. The mandatory threshold — five or more people from two or more households sharing facilities — is national. Only the additional and selective schemes vary by council.