Salford has 3 discretionary licensing schemes on our record: additional HMO licensing (starts 24 Nov 2026), selective licensing (in force). Mandatory HMO licensing applies everywhere in England to HMOs with 5 or more people in 2 or more households.
Selective: yesAdditional HMO: yesMandatory HMO: alwaysChecked 28 Sep 2026
| Area covered | Part of the council area |
|---|---|
| Runs | 21 Jan 2026 to 21 Jan 2031 |
| Fee | £609 non-accredited first application from 22 Jul 2026 (£570 subsequent) |
| Discounts | 21 Jan-21 Apr 2026 £450; 22 Apr-21 Jul 2026 £530; accredited £390 |
Ward or street lists can split a road. Use the council's own address checker or designation map before relying on this list.
Checked 28 Sept 2026.
| Area covered | Part of the council area |
|---|---|
| Runs | 1 Sept 2022 to 1 Sept 2027 |
| Fee | £609 non-accredited first application from 2 Mar 2023 (£589 subsequent) |
Ward or street lists can split a road. Use the council's own address checker or designation map before relying on this list.
Checked 28 Sept 2026.
| Area covered | Whole council area |
|---|---|
| Designation made | 11 Aug 2026 |
| Runs | 24 Nov 2026 to 24 Nov 2031 |
| Fee | £1,432 (Part A £1,054 + Part B £378) s257 HMO with 1-4 flats, new application; 5-8 flats £1,711.65 (1,333.96+377.69); subsequent £1,394.99 |
| Discounts | accredited £1,321.02; early (before 24 Nov 2026 or within 3 months of purchase) £1,365.80 |
Council licensing page Designation notice
Checked 28 Sept 2026.
| Date | What | Scheme | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| 24 Nov 2026 in 57 days | scheme start | Additional HMO licensing | council |
| 31 Aug 2027 in 337 days | scheme end | Selective licensing | council |
| 21 Jan 2031 in 1576 days | scheme end | Selective licensing | council |
| 24 Nov 2031 in 1883 days | scheme end | Additional HMO licensing | council |
Want a reminder before a deadline? Use the form at the bottom of this page and pick "Email me before my deadlines".
Whatever the local schemes, a licence is required for any house in multiple occupation let to 5 or more people forming 2 or more households who share a kitchen, bathroom or toilet. This rule is national and has applied since 1 October 2018. Letting without a required licence is a criminal offence under section 72 of the Housing Act 2004. Read do I need an HMO licence? and how to apply.
We did not find an online public register for Salford. Every council must keep one (Housing Act 2004, s.232) and make it available for inspection; ask the council's private sector housing team.
Official planning data lists 5 HMO Article 4 areas for Salford. Inside these areas, turning a family house (use class C3) into a small HMO (C4) needs planning permission.
| HMO Article 4 area | In effect from | Document |
|---|---|---|
| 2018 HMO Article 4 Direction | 25 Nov 2018 | view |
| 2018 HMO Article 4 Direction | 2018 HMO Article 4 Direction | Article 4 directions: ‘small’ houses in multiple occupation (HMO) | 25 Nov 2018 | view |
| 2024 HMO Article 4 Direction | 17 Nov 2024 | view |
| 2024 HMO Article 4 Direction | 2024 HMO Article 4 Direction | Article 4 directions: ‘small’ houses in multiple occupation (HMO) | 17 Nov 2024 | view |
| Mines Rescue Station Article 4 Direction | Mines Rescue Station Article 4 Direction | Mines Rescue Station conservation area | 13 Oct 1994 | view |
Licensing and planning are separate. A licence does not give planning permission, and planning permission does not replace a licence. See Article 4 and HMOs.
Figures below count First-tier Tribunal (Property Chamber) decisions published on GOV.UK for properties located in Salford. They show how tenants and the council use enforcement here. Most civil penalties are paid without appeal, so they never reach the tribunal.
| Rent repayment order decisions | 7 (5 in the last 3 years) |
|---|---|
| Orders made | 4 (80% of decisions with a known outcome) |
| Median award | £1,674 (last 3 years: £1,321) |
| Total awarded | £5,990 |
| Civil penalty appeals | 18 |
| Penalty upheld (in full or reduced) | 94.4% · confirmed in full 33.3% |
| Median penalty: council's notice / after tribunal | £19,500 / £18,500 |
| Other Housing Act appeals (licence terms, notices, orders) | 3 |
| Decided | Area | Property | Offence alleged | Outcome | Amount | Decision |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 17 Jun 2026 | M6 | HMO | unlicensed HMO | Order made | £430 | GOV.UK |
| 12 Jan 2026 | M5 | House / not stated | unlicensed (selective licensing) | See decision | — | GOV.UK |
| 17 Dec 2024 | M7 | HMO | unlicensed HMO; unlawful eviction / harassment | Refused | — | GOV.UK |
| 17 Jul 2024 | M3 | HMO | unlicensed HMO | Order made | £2,213 | GOV.UK |
| 5 Dec 2023 | M7 | HMO | not extracted | See decision | — | GOV.UK |
| Decided | Area | Offence | Outcome | Council's penalty | After tribunal | Decision |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 21 Aug 2025 | M28 | breach of licence conditions; HMO management regulations | Penalty varied | — | £28,850 | GOV.UK |
| 28 Jul 2025 | M30 | unlicensed (selective licensing) | Penalty varied | £30,000 | £14,000 | GOV.UK |
| 6 Jul 2025 | M6 | HMO management regulations | See decision | £13,650 | — | GOV.UK |
| 17 Apr 2025 | M6 | unlicensed HMO; HMO management regulations | See decision | £28,500 | — | GOV.UK |
| 9 Jun 2023 | M7 | unlicensed HMO; HMO management regulations | Penalty varied | £18,000 | £43,500 | GOV.UK |
| 19 Oct 2022 | M6 | HMO management regulations | Penalty varied | £11,550 | £10,850 | GOV.UK |
| 27 Jul 2022 | M5 | failure to comply with improvement notice | See decision | £12,500 | — | GOV.UK |
| 19 Jul 2022 | M7 | unlicensed (selective licensing) | Penalty varied | — | — | GOV.UK |
Amounts and outcomes are extracted automatically from the decision text and can be wrong; open the decision on GOV.UK for the full reasons. Party names are not shown. Information, not legal advice.
If you have let without a licence you needed, read unlicensed property: what to do, rent repayment orders and civil penalties.
Salford is in the North West region of the new Private Rented Sector Database. Registration opens 15 May 2027 and the deadline to register is 14 Aug 2027. The published fee is £65 per property per year. Database registration is separate from council licensing: you may need both. See register your rental property.
We can prepare a licence application for you for a fixed fee; the council's own fee is separate. See pricing for what is included and how we make money. You can also run a full address check on the postcode checker.
Yes. Broughton, Kersal & Broughton Park: in force until 21 Jan 2031 (part of the area); Eccles, Barton and Winton: in force until 1 Sept 2027 (part of the area). Check the council's map or address checker to confirm your street.
Selective licensing: £609 (non-accredited first application from 22 Jul 2026 (£570 subsequent)); Selective licensing: £609 (non-accredited first application from 2 Mar 2023 (£589 subsequent)); Additional HMO licensing: £1,432 (s257 HMO with 1-4 flats, new application; 5-8 flats £1,711.65 (1,333.96+377.69); subsequent £1,394.99). Fees for mandatory HMO licences are set by the council and published on its fees page.
Official planning data lists 5 HMO Article 4 areas for Salford. Inside these areas, turning a family house (use class C3) into a small HMO (C4) needs planning permission.
The First-tier Tribunal has published 7 rent repayment order decisions for properties in Salford (4 with an order made), median award £1,674, and 18 civil penalty appeals. Most penalties are never appealed, so the true number of fines is higher.
Related: selective licensing in England · additional HMO licensing · HMO licence cost · HMO rules · HMO hub
Last checked 28 Sep 2026. Information, not legal advice. Licensing schemes change often; always confirm with the council before you act.