Licensing and permits

Apply for a selective licence

Anyone who rents a property to tenants in a certain area of the city must have a licence. The property owner or managing agent must make sure this licence is valid at all times.

If five or more people live in the property you may need to apply for an HMO licence. Find out more about HMO licences. 

Check if you need a licence

There is an area in Liverpool where privately-rented properties must have a licence. Use our postcode look-up to see if your property is in this area.

How much?

See our fees, discounts and exemptions for information on how much your licence will cost. 

Who should be the licence holder?

The licence holder should be, in most cases, the person or company that does the following:

  • collects the rent
  • issues and ends tenancies
  • carries out the day-to-day management of the property
  • is the contact for tenants to call on if they need to report repairs or other issues

The licence holder must also have a valid UK address that legal notices can be served at.

Before you start

Before your start your application make sure that you have all the relevant documents to hand:

  • proof of address 
  • gas certificate 
  • property details 
  • tenancy details 
  • safety information 
  • names, addresses, and emails of all interested parties 
  • 'fit and proper' information 

How to apply

To apply for a licence you must first create an account on our Licensing and Regulations (LAR) system. You can then access the application form and guidance on how to complete it.

Once you have an account, you can also track the progress of your application and make a payment and also raise queries.

Register and apply for a licence online via LAR

Read our privacy notice which tells you how we use your data

How to pay

The first fee instalment will be requested when you submit your online application.

We accept Visa Credit, Visa Debit, UK Maestro, International Maestro, MasterCard, Electron and JCB. You must be registered with 3D Secure 2, also known as verified by Visa and MasterCard SecureCode, for your payment to be authorised.

Track an existing application submitted online

If you have already made an application online you can track its progress via LAR.

Track an existing application in LAR

Licence transfers

Licences cannot be transferred to another person, organisation or property.

Companies and partnerships

If the licence holder is a limited company or partnership and it is dissolved while the licence is in force, the licence ceases to be in force on the date of dissolution.

Changes in circumstances

You must email privatesector.housing@liverpool.gov.uk to inform us of any changes in the circumstances of the licence holder or other interested parties. This is a requirement set out in the licence conditions.