LetLens / Licensing by council / Burnley
Landlord licensing in Burnley
Mandatory HMO licensing applies across England, so a property in Burnley let to five or more people forming two or more households, who share a kitchen, bathroom or toilet, needs a licence. Burnley also runs selective licensing, which can bring smaller HMOs, or every private rental, into licensing.
The licence you need turns on who lives in the property. Find the line that describes your let.
- Required by national lawThe same in all 296 English councils. Not a Burnley decision.
Your propertyLet to 5 or more people forming 2 or more households who share a kitchen, bathroom or toilet
You needMandatory HMO licence In force England-wide
It costs£961 for a 5-bedroom HMO£961 base + £21/bedroom over 10
WhereEverywhere in Burnley, as everywhere in England. Scope, fee schedule and source
- What Burnley requires on topSchemes this council chose to run, and what differs from the council next door.
Your propertyA smaller shared house the national scheme does not reach, typically 3 or 4 sharers forming 2 or more households
You needNo additional HMO licence No scheme
Your propertyLet privately inside a designated area, whether or not it is an HMO
You needSelective licence In force
It costs£715, the same for a rental of any size
WhereDesignated area (postcode-resolved), not the whole of Burnley. Scope, fee schedule and source
- Planning permission, a separate questionNot licensing. Whether you may create an HMO at all, decided by the council’s planning side.
Your planConverting a house (use class C3) into a small HMO (use class C4)
You needPlanning permission In force
WhereInside the designated area: Bank Hall, Brunshaw, Daneshouse with Stoneyholme, Gannow, Gawthorpe, Queensgate, Rosegrove with Lowerhouse, Rosehill with Burnley Wood and Trinity. Outside it the right still applies. The direction, its dates and its boundary
Each fee is for the example property named on its own line, from the council’s published schedule. Other sizes are priced separately; the full schedules, discounts and surcharges are below.
Or open BB12 0QB, a postcode near the centre of Burnley, to see what a full report looks like.
Each scheme in detail, and the evidence behind it
Which properties each scheme catches in Burnley, in the council’s own words, with the designations in force, the whole published fee schedule and the source for every figure. The three regimes can stack: a property can need a licence under one and still be caught by another.
Mandatory HMO licensing In force England-wide
Fee, 5-bed HMO£961£961 base + £21/bedroom over 10
- Where it applies
- National scheme
- Which properties
- HMOs occupied by 5 or more persons forming 2 or more households who share amenities (mandatory HMO licensing, Housing Act 2004 s55/s254; Licensing of HMOs Prescribed Description Order 2018)
The published fee schedule
- Base fee
- £961
- Base fee, paid in two parts
- £557 on application, then £404 when the licence is granted
- Size charge
- £21 per bedroom above 10
- Licence term
- Up to 5 years
- Fee schedule dated
- 2026
Discounts
- Accredited landlord/agent (Good Landlord and Agent Scheme) - application-stage reduction (£557 -> £388): £169
- Accredited landlord/agent (Good Landlord and Agent Scheme) - grant-stage reduction (£404 -> £283): £121
Other charges
- Additional charge per room where the HMO exceeds 10 rooms: £21
Additional HMO licensing No scheme
Selective licensing In force
Licence fee, any size£715
- Where it applies
- Designated area (postcode-resolved)
- Which properties
- All privately rented (non-exempt) dwellings within the designated Burnley Wood with Healey Wood and Leyland Road areas; owner/landlord must hold a selective licence for each let property
- Designations in force
- Burnley Wood with Healey Wood and Leyland Road Area Selective Licensing Designation 2022
Trinity, Daneshouse and Stoneyholme, Gannow, Queensgate and Padiham Selective Licensing Designations 2025 - Designation period
- 21 July 2022 to 20 July 2027
27 April 2025 to 26 April 2030
The published fee schedule for Burnley Wood with Healey Wood and Leyland Road Area Selective Licensing Designation 2022
- Fee
- £715
- Paid in two parts
- £370 on application, then £345 when the licence is granted
- Renewal
- £640
- Licence term
- Up to 5 years
- Fee schedule dated
- 2022
Discounts
- Early application discount (apply within 3 months of the designation coming into force, first application only): £100
- Good Landlord and Agent Scheme (GLAS) member - 30% discount: £0
Other charges
- Online renewal / additional property - Part A (upon application): £340
- Online renewal / additional property - Part B (upon granting): £300
- Paper new application - Part A (upon application): £405
- Paper new application - total: £750
- Paper renewal / additional property - total: £670
The published fee schedule for Trinity, Daneshouse and Stoneyholme, Gannow, Queensgate and Padiham Selective Licensing Designations 2025
- Fee
- £750
- Paid in two parts
- £405 on application, then £345 when the licence is granted
- Renewal
- £670
- Licence term
- Up to 5 years
- Fee schedule dated
- 2025
Discounts
- Early application discount (apply within 6 weeks of the property being required to be licensed, first application only): £100
- Good Landlord and Agent Scheme (GLAS) member - 30% discount: £0
Other charges
- Additional property application (previously licensed) - Part A (upon application): £370
- Additional property application (previously licensed) - Part B (upon granting): £300
Article 4 and HMO planning permission in Burnley In force
An HMO Article 4 direction is in force in Burnley covering Bank Hall, Brunshaw, Daneshouse with Stoneyholme, Gannow, Gawthorpe, Queensgate, Rosegrove with Lowerhouse, Rosehill with Burnley Wood and Trinity, so the permitted-development right to convert a house (C3) into a small HMO (C4) has been removed and planning permission is needed there. We hold 1,526 of Burnley's 2,401 postcodes inside a designated area, about 63.6% of the council.
HMO Article 4 direction, Bank Hall, Brunshaw, Daneshouse with Stoneyholme, Gannow, Gawthorpe, Queensgate, Rosegrove with Lowerhouse, Rosehill with Burnley Wood and Trinity
- Area
- Bank Hall, Brunshaw, Daneshouse with Stoneyholme, Gannow, Gawthorpe, Queensgate, Rosegrove with Lowerhouse, Rosehill with Burnley Wood and Trinity
- Right removed
- C3 to C4 (small HMO)
- Made
- 13 October 2023
- Confirmed
- 19 June 2024
- In force from
- 14 October 2024
A licence is not planning permission
These are two separate consents from two separate parts of the council, and getting one does not give you the other. A licensing team can grant an HMO licence for a property that needed planning permission and never got it.
Where the permission was needed and is missing, the usual consequence lands on the licence. Councils commonly grant a short licence, often twelve months rather than the full term, to give the owner time to apply. If permission is not applied for, is refused, or an appeal fails, the council will generally refuse to extend and let the licence expire, and will generally refuse a fresh application outright once permission has been finally refused. At that point the property cannot lawfully be let as an HMO at all.
This is council practice rather than a statutory rule, and it varies, so confirm it with Burnley before you rely on it. Nottingham City Council publishes its version explicitly and is quoted here as a worked example of the approach.
The research note behind this verdict
What happens if you let without a licence
Letting or managing an unlicensed property that needs a licence is a criminal offence, under section 72 of the Housing Act 2004 for an HMO and section 95 for a property caught by selective licensing. A council can prosecute, or impose a civil penalty instead. For conduct on or after 1 May 2026 that penalty can be up to £40,000 per offence, raised from £30,000 by the Financial Penalties (Housing Offences and Breach of Banning Orders) Regulations 2026. Tenants and the council can also apply for a rent repayment order, which for conduct from the same date can claw back up to two years of rent, up from one, under section 103 of the Renters' Rights Act 2025.
Both of those maxima apply only to conduct on or after 1 May 2026. Earlier conduct is still judged against the old £30,000 and twelve-month limits. Each breach is normally penalised separately, so an unlicensed portfolio in Burnley multiplies the exposure rather than capping it.
The letting market in Burnley
Licensing is only one side of the sum. These are medians from real listings we have collected, with the number of listings behind each one, because a median over a handful of adverts is a different claim from a median over hundreds.
- Median room rent£445 pcmFrom 106 room listings in Burnley.
- Median whole-property rent£699 pcmFrom 77 whole-property listings.
- Typical 4-bed rent£1,096 pcmThe comparison a room-by-room let is measured against.
- HMO income premium+103%Five rooms let individually against one four-bedroom whole-property let, before the extra cost, licensing and voids that come with an HMO.
- Median sale price£132,500Across 317 sales in 2026, all property types, HM Land Registry.
- Gross yield, whole let6.3%Median whole-property rent for a year against the median sale price. Before voids, management, repairs, licensing and finance, all of which a real return has to carry.
- Gross yield, 5-room HMO20.2%Five rooms at the median room rent against the same median sale price. The higher figure is what pays for the licence, the extra management and the higher voids, rather than being profit on top of them.
- Typical household income£29,614Mean of net small-area median incomes around the council's main listing areas, not a council-wide median.
- Postcodes with flood exposure5.0%119 of 2,401 indexed postcodes.
- Postcodes in Flood Zone 364 (2.7%)The Environment Agency's highest-probability zone. Lenders and insurers ask about this one by name, and it is a subset of the exposure above.
Room rent by outcode
Room rent is fairly even across Burnley’s outcodes, which is worth knowing too: the council-wide median above travels reasonably well here.
| Outcode | Median room rent | Room listings | Check a postcode |
|---|---|---|---|
| BB11 | £450 pcm | 55 | Check BB11 |
| BB10 | £422 pcm | 34 | Check BB10 |
Postcode districts in Burnley
Licensing, Article 4 and the fee all turn on the exact address, because a designated area rarely follows the council boundary. LetLens holds 2,401 Burnley postcodes. Open one of its postcode districts to see the verdict, the local rent evidence and the investment model.
Common questions
Do I need an HMO licence in Burnley?
Mandatory HMO licensing applies across England, so a property in Burnley let to five or more people forming two or more households, who share a kitchen, bathroom or toilet, needs a licence. Burnley also runs selective licensing, which can bring smaller HMOs, or every private rental, into licensing. Selective licensing covers Designated area (postcode-resolved).
How much does an HMO licence cost in Burnley?
£961 for a five-bedroom, five-person HMO under the mandatory scheme, from the council's published fee schedule. Fee basis: £961 base + £21/bedroom over 10. Larger or smaller properties, and any additional or selective scheme, are priced separately.
Is there an Article 4 direction in Burnley?
An HMO Article 4 direction is in force in Burnley covering Bank Hall, Brunshaw, Daneshouse with Stoneyholme, Gannow, Gawthorpe, Queensgate, Rosegrove with Lowerhouse, Rosehill with Burnley Wood and Trinity, so the permitted-development right to convert a house (C3) into a small HMO (C4) has been removed and planning permission is needed there. We hold 1,526 of Burnley's 2,401 postcodes inside a designated area, about 63.6% of the council.
What is the penalty for letting an unlicensed property in Burnley?
Letting or managing a property that needs a licence without one is a criminal offence under the Housing Act 2004. The council can prosecute or impose a civil penalty, which for conduct on or after 1 May 2026 can be up to £40,000 per offence, raised from £30,000 by the Financial Penalties (Housing Offences and Breach of Banning Orders) Regulations 2026. Tenants or the council can also seek a rent repayment order covering up to two years of rent for conduct from that date, up from one year, under section 103 of the Renters' Rights Act 2025. Each breach is normally penalised separately. Indicative only, not legal advice.
Do I need planning permission for an HMO in Burnley?
Where an Article 4 direction applies, yes: it removes the permitted-development right to change a house (use class C3) into a small HMO (use class C4), so that change needs a planning application. An HMO for seven or more residents needs permission anywhere, Article 4 or not. Planning is separate from licensing, and a licence does not give you permission. Where permission was needed and not obtained, councils commonly grant a licence for about twelve months rather than the full term, and generally refuse to extend it if permission is not then granted, which leaves the property unable to be let as an HMO. Practice varies by council, so confirm it with Burnley.
Can I convert a house into a small HMO in Burnley without planning permission?
Not inside the Article 4 area. The direction removes the permitted-development right, so a change of use from C3 to C4 needs a planning application. Outside the designated area the right still applies. Check the exact address against the boundary before you commit.
About Burnley
Burnley is a local housing authority in North West, with a population of about 89,000 and 2,401 live postcodes indexed by LetLens. It is the licensing authority for every private rented property inside its boundary, and the local planning authority that decides whether an Article 4 direction applies.
Nearby councils
Licensing stops at the council boundary, so a street on the other side of it can carry a different scheme and a different fee.
Contact Burnley
Burnley licensing team · [email protected] · 01282 477299