Selective Licensing in Burnley

Burnley is a classic "cheap houses, licensing heavy" town: multiple overlapping selective schemes in the poorest streets, mandatory HMO licensing only (no additional), and a council that actually prosecutes.

Current schemes, areas, dates

Burnley runs two sets of selective schemes as at 2026.

1. Burnley Wood / Healey Wood and Leyland Road

Areas:

• Burnley Wood with Healey Wood

• Leyland Road area.

• Start: 21 July 2022.

• End: 20 July 2027.

Scope: "Any property that is rented out within the private rented sector will require a licence" in these designated areas, unless exempt.

2. Trinity, Queensgate, Gannow, Daneshouse and Stoneyholme, Padiham (new 2025 schemes)

Areas:

• Trinity

• Queensgate

• Gannow

• Daneshouse and Stoneyholme

• Padiham.

• Start: 27 April 2025.

• End: 26 April 2030.

In these five areas, all privately rented properties must be licensed while the scheme is in operation.

Kamma's overview summarises:

• Scheme one: 1 Nov 2019 - 31 Oct 2024 in Bank Hall, Daneshouse and Stoneyholme, Gannow, Queensgate, Whittlefield and Ightenhill (now replaced/overlapped by the new 2025 designations).
• Scheme two: 21 Jul 2022 - 20 Jul 2027 in Bank Hall, Rosehill with Burnley Wood and Trinity.

So in practice, by mid-2026: there is continuous selective coverage in Burnley Wood/Healey Wood, Leyland Road, Trinity, Queensgate, Gannow, Daneshouse and Stoneyholme and Padiham, hitting thousands of low-value rentals.

Fees

From Burnley's fee structure:

Trinity / Queensgate / Gannow / Daneshouse and Stoneyholme / Padiham (2025-2030):

First application (not previously licensed):

• Part A: GBP 405
• Part B: GBP 345
• Total: GBP 750.

Additional property (same licence holder with previous licence in Burnley):

• Total: GBP 670.

Burnley Wood / Healey Wood / Leyland Road (2022-2027): Earlier fee structure: GBP 640-715 per property, increased to GBP 750 for new applications under the renewal proposals, with GBP 640-670 for existing licence holders.

Discounts:

• Good Landlord and Agent Scheme (GLAS): 30% discount on fees for members.
• Early applications: additional discount if you apply promptly after designation.
• Council allows up to 24-month instalment payments by direct debit to spread fees, after landlord feedback.

There is no additional HMO licensing, only mandatory HMO (5+ sharers) nationally.

Conditions, enforcement and exemptions

Licence conditions

All Burnley selective schemes require landlords to meet conditions on:

Fit and proper person and suitable management arrangements.

Property condition and safety:

• Adequate heating, electrics, fire safety.
• Compliance with HHSRS; no serious hazards.

Tenancy management:

• Written tenancy agreements.
• Proper deposit protection.
• Taking reasonable steps to deal with ASB.

Same basic playbook as London, but applied to GBP 40k terraces.

Enforcement

Burnley is not shy about enforcement.

Home Safe report: a landlord who failed to licence was fined GBP 660, GBP 300 costs, GBP 65 surcharge (total GBP 1,025) for "failing to properly licence a house he owned and rented out" in a Burnley selective area.

The council's consultation papers say that in the previous 5-year scheme they saw:

• Falls in housing disrepair complaints.
• Reductions in ASB and environmental crime.
• House prices rising in the designated areas, and fewer empty homes.

Burnley uses:

• Magistrates' court prosecutions.
• The standard civil penalty and RRO toolkit, especially now the Renters' Rights Act has increased the ceiling nationally (cited in regional budgeting docs as a revenue and compliance driver).

Exemptions

Standard exemptions apply:

• Social housing and specified RSL properties.
• Some business tenancies and long-leaseholder-occupied units.
• Dwellings already under mandatory HMO licensing (no double licence).

But the practical rule in these cheap streets is simple: if you have a BTL there and it is not your home, you almost certainly need a licence.

Application process

One licence per tenanted property in each designated area.

Apply online via Burnley's private-rented sector portal for the specific scheme area.

Application requirements:

• Landlord and manager details, fit-and-proper declarations.
• Property address, occupancy.
• Evidence of compliance (certificates, etc.) as requested.
• Payment of Part A upfront, with options for instalments.

The scheme is explicitly self-financing: the council stresses it cannot make a profit and fees are ring-fenced for scheme costs.

Impact on the market and landlord response

Burnley is one of the cheapest areas in England for BTL. Licences here matter because they hit thin cashflows on low rents, not because the absolute fee is huge.

From council reports and landlord press:

Why these areas: High PRS concentrations, high deprivation, many poor-quality lets. Aim to tie together licensing, empty-homes work and neighbourhood regeneration.

Outcomes:

• Reduced complaints and ASB.
• Improved security measures and fewer empties.
• Modest uplift in house prices in designated areas compared with wider Burnley.

Investor response:

• Some low-end landlords have been forced out (fines, cost of basic compliance, voids while upgrading).
• Professional investors still like Burnley because:
• Terraces often GBP 60-80k with GBP 400-500/month rents.
• Even GBP 750 every 5 years is GBP 150/year, a rounding error if you run it properly.
• But licensing has raised the bar: you now need to be on top of repairs, ASB and inspections, not just collect rent.

Future direction: The 2024/25 executive reports and NRLA notes show Burnley actively using the December 2024 rule change (no SoS sign-off needed) to expand selective licensing to Padiham and renew the existing five areas, with bigger fees and more enforcement.

What forums get wrong about Burnley

Myth 1: "Selective licensing was a one-off; the schemes ended years ago."

Reality: Current schemes in Burnley Wood and Healey Wood and Leyland Road run 21 July 2022 - 20 July 2027, and new schemes in Trinity, Queensgate, Gannow, Daneshouse and Stoneyholme and Padiham run 27 April 2025 - 26 April 2030.

Myth 2: "Fees are tiny, like GBP 200, barely worth thinking about."

Reality: Standard fees are GBP 750 for a first application and GBP 670 for additional properties, with only GLAS members/early birds getting a 30% discount on top.

Myth 3: "Burnley doesn't really enforce; they just send letters."

Reality: Landlords have already been fined GBP 1,025 for failing to licence, and the council's own evidence shows use of prosecution and heavy focus on ASB and disrepair. Renters' Rights Act now makes RROs and civil penalties even sharper tools.

Myth 4: "Because houses are cheap, licensing doesn't affect yields."

Reality: On a GBP 70k terrace with GBP 450/month rent, a GBP 750 licence plus basic upgrade capex is the difference between double-digit gross yield and a marginal deal. You must model the licence fee and any works over 5 years, not treat them as surprises.

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