Updated 2 November 2026. Nottingham’s current selective licensing guidance confirms that its second scheme started on 1 December 2023. The archived report announced the scheme before it began; this update focuses on the checks owners and agents can make now.
The council says selective licensing applies to relevant privately rented properties within designated areas. Its examples include a single occupant, people forming one household and two unrelated individuals forming two households. A flat can also fall within the scheme. A landlord should use the council’s mapping and guidance to assess the particular address.
An existing licence has its own dates
The council says a licence that has not expired does not need to be replaced until it expires, although an application can be made before expiry. This makes the actual document important. The scheme’s start date alone does not tell an owner when an existing property licence runs out.
Locate the licence and check that the address, holder and expiry information match the property records. If an agent handles administration, ask for a copy that both parties can access. Put a reminder in place early enough to gather information and resolve questions before the deadline.
Use the current fee schedule
Nottingham’s page states that new selective licence fees apply from 1 April 2026. The fee quoted in the older archive story should therefore not be used to budget for a new application. Follow the council’s current links and check the conditions for any fee category or discount.
Save the application acknowledgement and payment records together. A payment receipt is useful evidence of a transaction, but applicants should also track any request for missing information and the eventual licence decision.
When the details change
The council provides a licence variation route and warns that licence holders cannot be changed through it. Owners should therefore explain a change in ownership or management to the licensing team rather than assume an existing document can simply be edited.
For a portfolio review, work address by address. Check the map, the current occupation, any existing licence and outstanding correspondence. Keep questions specific so the council can identify what needs to happen next. This article is a guide to checking the official information, not confirmation that a particular property is licensed or exempt.
Council source: https://www.nottinghamcity.gov.uk/qualityhousingforall