Which councils in East of England have selective licensing?

Our current data shows 4 of the 44 councils in East of England operating an active selective licensing scheme, and 4 operating additional HMO licensing. Schemes can be borough or district-wide or limited to certain wards, so always confirm with the council.

Does mandatory HMO licensing apply in East of England?

Yes. Mandatory HMO licensing applies across all of England, including this region, to properties with five or more occupiers forming two or more households. Many councils also run additional licensing covering smaller shared houses.

How do I check licensing for a property in East of England?

Use the postcode checker to match the address to its council and see whether our current data shows selective or additional licensing for that area, then verify with the council. Because some schemes only cover certain wards, postcode-level checking matters.

Is this comparison official?

No. It is a research summary based on our current data, not an official record. Councils can introduce, renew, or end schemes at any time, so treat it as a starting point and verify the latest position with the council.

Region hub

East of England property licensing

This hub compares selective and additional HMO licensing across the 44 councils in East of England, alongside how usable each council's public register is. Use it as a starting point, then check a specific address and verify with the council.

Councils: 44
Active selective: 4
Active additional: 4
Searchable registers: 5

Licensing by council in East of England

Register usability is scored 1 (clear searchable register) to 5 (no clear public route). All statuses reflect our current data and should be verified with the council.

Licensing schemes by council: selective licensing, additional HMO licensing, and public register availability
Council	Selective	Additional HMO	Register
Babergh	None shown	None shown	Not confirmed
Basildon	Proposed	None shown	3/5
Bedford	None shown	None shown	Not confirmed
Braintree	None shown	None shown	Not confirmed
Breckland	None shown	None shown	Not confirmed
Brentwood	None shown	None shown	Not confirmed
Broadland	None shown	None shown	Not confirmed
Broxbourne	None shown	None shown	Not confirmed
Cambridge	None shown	None shown	Not confirmed
Castle Point	None shown	None shown	Not confirmed
Chelmsford	None shown	None shown	Not confirmed
Colchester	None shown	None shown	1/5
Dacorum	None shown	None shown	Not confirmed
East Cambridgeshire	None shown	None shown	Not confirmed
East Hertfordshire	None shown	None shown	Not confirmed
East Suffolk	None shown	None shown	Not confirmed
Epping Forest	None shown	None shown	Not confirmed
Fenland	Proposed	None shown	1/5
Great Yarmouth Borough Council	Active	Proposed	5/5
Harlow	None shown	Former	3/5
Hertsmere	None shown	None shown	Not confirmed
Huntingdonshire	None shown	None shown	Not confirmed
Ipswich Borough Council	None shown	None shown	3/5
King's Lynn and West Norfolk	None shown	None shown	Not confirmed
Luton Borough Council	Proposed	Proposed	1/5
Maldon	None shown	None shown	Not confirmed
Mid Suffolk	None shown	None shown	Not confirmed
North Hertfordshire	None shown	None shown	Not confirmed
North Norfolk	None shown	None shown	Not confirmed
Norwich City Council	Proposed	None shown	2/5
Peterborough City Council	Active	Active	1/5
Rochford	None shown	None shown	Not confirmed
South Cambridgeshire	None shown	None shown	Not confirmed
South Norfolk	None shown	None shown	Not confirmed
Southend-on-Sea	Active	Active	5/5
St Albans	None shown	None shown	Not confirmed
Stevenage Borough Council	None shown	Active	Not confirmed
Tendring	None shown	None shown	3/5
Three Rivers	None shown	None shown	Not confirmed
Thurrock	Active	Active	1/5
Uttlesford	None shown	None shown	Not confirmed
Watford	None shown	None shown	Not confirmed
Welwyn Hatfield Borough Council	None shown	None shown	3/5
West Suffolk	None shown	None shown	Not confirmed

Our current data is a research summary, not a legal record. Schemes, boundaries, fees, and registers should always be verified with the council before letting, purchasing, refinancing, or taking legal action. Mandatory HMO licensing applies across the region regardless of any local scheme.

Stay informed

Get notified when licensing schemes change

Useful if you are tracking an area before buying, letting, or reviewing compliance. We send occasional update emails only, and you should still verify final requirements with the council.

No spam. No generic marketing blasts. Just occasional licensing updates.

Browse other regions

East Midlands London North East North West South East South West West Midlands Yorkshire and the Humber

Selective licensing areas

All councils operating selective licensing, by region.

Additional HMO areas

Councils running additional HMO licensing, by region.

How usable each council's public register is.

Checking a property in East of England?

Use the free checker first. A written review can document the council licensing position and official sources if a decision needs it.

Free checker

Free · Live now

Check a postcode, open the council page, and use the guides before paying for anything.

Open the free checker

Property Licensing Check

£29 · Live now

A property-specific PDF licensing report with a verification email template, current scheme fees, and a £30,000 risk context block — delivered to your inbox automatically.

Continue to secure payment

Alerts and monitoring

£12.99/month · Coming soon

A lighter monitoring tier for selected councils or areas, aimed at landlords and smaller investors who want ongoing updates.

See alerts and monitoring

These are information services, not legal advice. Final reliance should still be checked against council sources.

This tool provides general information about landlord licensing schemes in England. Results are based on publicly available data and may not reflect recent changes. This is not legal advice. Always verify licensing requirements directly with your local council before making decisions.