Additional HMO licensing
In force | Area covered | Whole council area |
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| Designation made | 25 Oct 2023 |
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| Runs | 5 Feb 2024 to 4 Feb 2029 |
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| Fee | Not published on the council page early bird £150 (Part A £122 + Part B £28) to 31 Aug 2026; full fee from 1 Sep 2026 per 2022 consultation, council says fees will be revised - amount not on page |
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| Discounts | early bird £150 until 31 Aug 2026 |
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Council licensing page Designation notice Public register
Note from our check: implementation delayed by judicial review (Court of Appeal); applications portal (Metastreet) currently unavailable - check before telling users enforcement is live
Checked 28 Sept 2026.
Selective licensing
In force | Area covered | Part of the council area (1 ward) |
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| Designation made | 25 Oct 2023 |
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| Runs | 1 Jun 2026 to 4 Feb 2029 |
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| Fee | Not published on the council page early bird £150 (Part A £122 + Part B £28) to 31 Aug 2026; full fee not stated on page (to be revised) |
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| Discounts | early bird £150 until 31 Aug 2026 |
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Wards in the scheme (1)
South (old ward boundary: town centre and Park Town)
Ward or street lists can split a road. Use the council's own address checker or designation map before relying on this list.
Council licensing page Designation notice Council address checker
Note from our check: designation text says in force 5 Feb 2024 but scheme delayed by JR and went live 1 Jun 2026; application portal currently unavailable; area is old South ward boundary - use roads list PDF, not WD25 ward
Checked 28 Sept 2026.
Mandatory HMO licensing in Luton
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.
Luton HMO licence register
The council's public register of licensed properties: Luton Borough Council public register. Use it to check whether a property already holds a licence, for example before you buy. Licences do not transfer to a new owner.
Luton Article 4 and HMO planning rules
Luton does not publish Article 4 data to the national planning data platform, so we cannot tell you from official data whether an HMO Article 4 direction applies. Absence of data is not absence of a direction: check the council's planning pages.
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.
Tribunal record: rent repayment orders and civil penalties in Luton
Figures below count First-tier Tribunal (Property Chamber) decisions published on GOV.UK for properties located in Luton. 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 | 5 (1 in the last 3 years) |
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| Orders made | 3 (100% of decisions with a known outcome) |
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| Median award | £1,562 (last 3 years: £1,562) |
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| Total awarded | £5,350 |
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| Civil penalty appeals | 0 |
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| Other Housing Act appeals (licence terms, notices, orders) | 1 |
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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.
Landlord database deadline for Luton
Luton is in the East of England region of the new Private Rented Sector Database. Registration opens 15 Jan 2027 and the deadline to register is 14 Apr 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.
Get help with a Luton licence application
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.
Luton licensing: common questions
Is there selective licensing in Luton?
Yes. in force until 4 Feb 2029 (part of the area). Check the council's map or address checker to confirm your street.
How much is an HMO licence in Luton?
We did not find a published fee on the council pages we checked. Mandatory HMO licence fees are set by each council, usually in two parts (application and grant). See the council page or our HMO licence cost guide.
Does Luton have an Article 4 direction for HMOs?
Luton does not publish Article 4 data to the national planning data platform, so we cannot tell you from official data whether an HMO Article 4 direction applies. Absence of data is not absence of a direction: check the council's planning pages.
Where is the Luton HMO licence register?
The council publishes its public register of licences here: Luton Borough Council register. Councils must keep a register of licences under section 232 of the Housing Act 2004.
How often do landlords in Luton face rent repayment orders or fines?
The First-tier Tribunal has published 5 rent repayment order decisions for properties in Luton (3 with an order made), median award £1,562, and 0 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
Sources
Last checked 28 Sep 2026. Information, not legal advice. Licensing schemes change often; always confirm with the council before you act.