Background and designation
Selective licensing allows the Council to introduce a licensing scheme for privately rented homes in a defined area. Its main aim is to improve property standards and management. The power comes from Part 3, Section 80 of the Housing Act 2004.
After a 10-week consultation (21 June to 29 August 2021), Manchester City Council introduced four selective licensing areas as part of Phase 2. These cover around 1,300 privately rented homes:
- The Ladders (Gorton and Abbey Hey) – 670 properties
- Hyde Road (Gorton and Abbey Hey) – 95 properties
- Trinity (Harpurhey) – 238 properties
- Ben Street (Clayton and Openshaw) – 99 properties
Each scheme lasts 5 years. They started on 1 May 2022 and will end on 30 April 2027. This page provides a midpoint update.
Designation criteria
Councils can introduce selective licensing in areas with high levels of private renting where one or more of the following apply:
- Anti-social behaviour (including environmental and waste issues)
- Crime
- Poor property conditions
- Deprivation
- Migration
Based on local evidence, the Phase 2 areas meet these criteria:
- The Ladders – anti-social behaviour, crime, poor conditions and deprivation
- Hyde Road – anti-social behaviour, crime, poor conditions and deprivation
- Trinity – anti-social behaviour, crime, poor conditions and deprivation
- Ben Street – anti-social behaviour, crime and deprivation
How the scheme works
Landlords in designated areas must have a licence unless exempt.
- Standard licence: £798
- Additional properties (same landlord): £694
- Early application (first 3 months): £591
Licences last up to 5 years. Shorter licences may be issued where there are concerns.
Landlords apply online and must provide evidence that the property meets legal standards. The Council’s Housing Compliance and Enforcement Team assesses each application.
The Council inspects higher-risk properties identified during the application stage. These include homes with complaints, missing documents, or poor energy ratings (below EPC E).
The Council aims to inspect 50% of licensed properties during the 5-year period. Inspections check:
- compliance with licence conditions
- risks using the Housing Health and Safety Rating System (HHSRS)
Failure to license or comply can lead to:
- civil penalties of up to £30,000
- unlimited fines through prosecution
- a management order (in serious cases)
Licences and inspections
At the midpoint:
- 1,276 selective licence applications received
- 23 HMO licence applications received
- 1,203 licences granted (around 93% of estimated private rented homes)
491 inspections have taken place (41% of licensed properties). Results:
- Not compliant: 47 (9.6%)
- Broadly compliant: 283 (57.6%)
- Fully compliant: 113 (23.0%)
- No access: 15 (3.1%)
- Not recorded: 33 (6.7%)
Most homes are broadly compliant, but there is still room for improvement. Only 23% are fully compliant. Around 1 in 10 homes have serious issues requiring action.
By area:
- Ben Street: highest full compliance (40%), but highest hazards per home (1.27)
- Hyde Road: lowest full compliance (11%), 1.16 hazards per home
- Trinity: lowest hazards per home (0.73)
Hazards identified
Category 1 hazards are the most serious risks to health and safety. Category 2 hazards are less severe.
Inspections have found:
- 57 Category 1 hazards
- 1,163 Category 2 hazards
- 1,220 hazards in total (all addressed to date)
By area:
- The Ladders – 30 Category 1, 700 Category 2
- Hyde Road – 18 Category 1, 101 Category 2
- Trinity – 9 Category 1, 254 Category 2
- Ben Street – 5 Category 1, 108 Category 2
Enforcement
The Council takes enforcement action where landlords do not comply.
So far:
- 144 notices served
By area:
- The Ladders – 91
- Hyde Road – 18
- Trinity – 21
- Ben Street – 14
Notices per home:
- Hyde Road: 0.18 (highest)
- Ben Street: 0.16
- The Ladders: 0.14
- Trinity: 0.06 (lowest)
Total civil penalties issued at midpoint: £21,150
Next steps
In the second half of the scheme, the Council will:
- make sure all eligible properties are licensed
- continue targeted inspections
- stay on track to inspect 50% of licensed homes
It is too early to measure the full impact on issues such as crime, anti-social behaviour and deprivation. A full evaluation will take place in 2027 when the scheme ends.
For more information download and read our full mid point review