Licences are generally granted for five years, so those are five year costs rather than annual ones. If you live outside the United Kingdom you cannot hold the licence yourself: the holder must reside in the UK or, if a company, be registered in the UK.
The fees, and the part nobody explains
The fee comes in two parts. Part A is payable when you apply and is not returned if the licence is refused. Part B falls due on grant.
Accreditation is through DASH or Unipol and reduces the fee. We are not accredited, so we cannot obtain the reduced rate for you and we will not imply that we can.
The council charges its own application fee, paid in two parts, and publishes the current figure in its fee policy. We confirm the fee for your address before anything is submitted, and where you accredit as a landlord the council charges less.
Who may hold the licence
The Council's policy states that a licence holder must either reside in the UK or, if a company, be registered in the UK. That rules out an overseas owner holding it personally.
The holder is also subject to a fit and proper person assessment, and it is the holder who is assessed rather than the overseas owner behind them. So the identity and record of whoever holds the licence matters to whether it is granted at all.
And the holder carries the legal responsibility for the licence conditions. That is the reason the arrangement should rest on a properly drafted agreement dealing with indemnity, access, the funding of works and termination, rather than on goodwill.
Whether your property is even in a scheme
Nottingham City Council has operated mandatory, additional and selective licensing since 1 December 2023, across the City area. Much of what people call Nottingham is not in the City for this purpose.
West Bridgford is in Rushcliffe, which operates neither a selective nor an additional scheme. Beeston and Bramcote are in Broxtowe, Arnold and Carlton in Gedling, Hucknall in Ashfield. Boundaries run through Sherwood and Mapperley, so an address is more reliable than an area name.
What we charge to handle it
£240 (including any VAT) to prepare and handle a selective licence application, or £280 for an HMO licence. Acting as the named licence holder itself is included in our overseas landlord management fee of 12% of the rent rather than charged separately. The Council's fee is payable by you to the Council.
Questions we are asked
How much is a selective licence in Nottingham?
Licences generally run for five years.
Can I hold the licence myself if I live abroad?
No. The Council's policy requires a licence holder to reside in the UK or, if a company, to be registered in the UK.
Is any of the fee refundable if the licence is refused?
Does West Bridgford need a selective licence?
No. West Bridgford is in Rushcliffe, which operates neither a selective nor an additional HMO scheme, so only mandatory HMO licensing applies there.
Who is assessed as fit and proper?
The licence holder, rather than the overseas owner behind them. So the record of whoever holds the licence affects whether it is granted.
Sources
Nottingham City Council, Housing Licensing Fee Policy, version 7, effective 1 April 2025
Nottingham City Council, Licensing for Landlords
General information about the law and practice in England. Not tax advice or legal advice.
