Selective licence North Yorkshire: licensing schemes, fees and enforcement

North Yorkshire has 2 discretionary licensing schemes on our record: selective licensing (in force). Mandatory HMO licensing applies everywhere in England to HMOs with 5 or more people in 2 or more households.

Selective: yesAdditional HMO: none foundMandatory HMO: alwaysChecked 28 Sep 2026

Free. Official data only. We don't store your postcode.

North Yorkshire licensing schemes in force or approved

Selective licensing · Scarborough South / central

In force
Area coveredPart of the council area
Runsstart date not published to 30 Apr 2027
Fee£550 (Part A £180 + Part B £370)

Ward or street lists can split a road. Use the council's own address checker or designation map before relying on this list.

Note from our check: renewal/expansion consultation from May 2027 (NRLA Sep 2026)

Checked 28 Sept 2026.

Selective licensing · Scarborough Town

In force
Area coveredPart of the council area
Runs1 Jun 2024 to 31 May 2029
Fee£695 (Part A £180 + Part B £515)

Ward or street lists can split a road. Use the council's own address checker or designation map before relying on this list.

Checked 28 Sept 2026.

Upcoming: consultations and key dates in North Yorkshire

DateWhatSchemeSource
30 Apr 2027
in 214 days
scheme endSelective licensingcouncil
31 May 2029
in 976 days
scheme endSelective licensingcouncil

Want a reminder before a deadline? Use the form at the bottom of this page and pick "Email me before my deadlines".

Mandatory HMO licensing in North Yorkshire

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.

North Yorkshire HMO licence register

We did not find an online public register for North Yorkshire. Every council must keep one (Housing Act 2004, s.232) and make it available for inspection; ask the council's private sector housing team.

North Yorkshire Article 4 and HMO planning rules

North Yorkshire 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 North Yorkshire

Figures below count First-tier Tribunal (Property Chamber) decisions published on GOV.UK for properties located in North Yorkshire. 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 decisions5 (1 in the last 3 years)
Orders made5 (100% of decisions with a known outcome)
Median award£3,000 (last 3 years: £486)
Total awarded£13,280
Civil penalty appeals5
Penalty upheld (in full or reduced)100% · confirmed in full 50%
Median penalty: council's notice / after tribunal£15,000 / £15,000
Other Housing Act appeals (licence terms, notices, orders)3

Recent rent repayment order decisions in North Yorkshire

DecidedAreaPropertyOffence allegedOutcomeAmountDecision
26 Aug 2025HG5Housefailure to comply with improvement noticeOrder made£486GOV.UK
4 Jul 2023HG1HMOnot extractedOrder made£3,000GOV.UK
15 Nov 2021HG1House / not statedfailure to comply with improvement noticeOrder made£1,300GOV.UK
16 Sept 2020—House / not statedunlicensed (selective licensing)Order made£3,293GOV.UK
29 Jan 2020YO11House / not statedunlicensed (selective licensing)Order made£5,200GOV.UK

Recent civil penalty appeals in North Yorkshire

DecidedAreaOffenceOutcomeCouncil's penaltyAfter tribunalDecision
11 Apr 2022HG2failure to comply with improvement noticePenalty varied£5,000£4,500GOV.UK
8 Sept 2021HG2failure to comply with improvement noticePenalty confirmed£25,000£25,000GOV.UK
5 Jul 2021HG1failure to comply with improvement noticePenalty varied£15,750£15,000GOV.UK
24 Aug 2020HG1breach of licence conditions; HMO management regulationsSee decision£15,000—GOV.UK
13 Feb 2020HG1failure to comply with improvement noticePenalty confirmed£15,000£15,000GOV.UK

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 North Yorkshire

North Yorkshire is in the Yorkshire and The Humber region of the new Private Rented Sector Database. Registration opens 15 Apr 2027 and the deadline to register is 14 Jul 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 North Yorkshire 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.

Help with a North Yorkshire licence

We may refer legal matters to an SRA-regulated solicitor and may receive a referral fee; we will tell you before any referral. See how we make money.

North Yorkshire licensing: common questions

Is there selective licensing in North Yorkshire?

Yes. Scarborough South / central: in force until 30 Apr 2027 (part of the area); Scarborough Town: in force until 31 May 2029 (part of the area). Check the council's map or address checker to confirm your street.

How much is an HMO licence in North Yorkshire?

Selective licensing: £550; Selective licensing: £695. Fees for mandatory HMO licences are set by the council and published on its fees page.

Does North Yorkshire have an Article 4 direction for HMOs?

North Yorkshire 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.

How often do landlords in North Yorkshire face rent repayment orders or fines?

The First-tier Tribunal has published 5 rent repayment order decisions for properties in North Yorkshire (5 with an order made), median award £3,000, and 5 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.