Selective licensing Salford: what landlords need to know

Landlord licence Salford at a glance

Sources: Salford City Council pages listed under Sources, checked 21 October 2026.

How big is the private rented sector in Salford?

The 2021 Census counted 115,117 households in Salford, and 30,853 of them (26.8%) rented from a private landlord or letting agent, or rented privately in another way. Across England and Wales the figure was 20.3%, so Salford's private rented share is well above the national average. Salford had the 37th largest number of private renting households of any of the 331 local authorities, and the 42nd highest share. 54,068 households (47.0%) were owner-occupiers and 29,227 (25.4%) were social renters.

Selective licensing in Salford

Salford's selective licensing applies to privately rented homes in two designated areas: Eccles, Winton and Barton, and Broughton, Kersal and Broughton Park. The area pages on the council's site show the exact streets. Inside them, private rented homes need a licence unless they're HMOs licensed under another scheme or are exempt.

For Broughton, applicants who make a valid application from 22 July 2026 pay the base fee. Earlier, lower accredited-landlord rates applied only to qualifying early applications.

Salford section 257 additional HMO licensing from 24 November 2026

Salford is introducing a citywide additional licensing designation for section 257 HMOs, starting on 24 November 2026. These are buildings converted into self-contained flats where the conversion doesn't meet the 1991 Building Regulations and fewer than two-thirds of the flats are owner-occupied. Fees depend on the number of flats (2 to 4, 5 to 8, or 9 or more). Accredited landlords and early applicants who apply before 24 November 2026, or within 3 months of purchase, get reduced fees. If you own a converted block in Salford, now is the time to check.

Mandatory HMO licensing in Salford

HMOs with 5 or more people from 2 or more households sharing facilities need a mandatory licence anywhere in the city. Salford prices these by bedrooms, with a lower rate for accredited landlords and for subsequent applications.

Salford landlord licence fees

As published by Salford (page updated 14 October 2026). Selective licence, Eccles, Winton and Barton: £609 (£366 application plus £243 grant), or £589 for a subsequent application. Selective licence, Broughton: £609 (£365 plus £244), or £570 subsequent.

Mandatory HMO licence, up to 12 bedrooms: £970 first application (£679 plus £291); £945 subsequent; £945 first and £910 subsequent for accredited landlords; £895 renewal. Properties with 13 or more bedrooms pay £40 per additional bedroom.

Section 257 HMO (new application base fee): £1,431.65 for 2 to 4 flats, £1,711.65 for 5 to 8, £1,991.65 for 9 or more. Accredited and early-application rates are lower, for example £1,321.02 and £1,365.80 for a 2 to 4 flat block.

Councils usually split a licence fee into two parts: one paid when you apply, covering processing, and one paid before the licence is granted, covering running and enforcing the scheme. Where the council publishes the split, we show it above. Fees are reviewed regularly, so treat these as correct on the date we checked and confirm on the council's fee page before you pay.

Do I need a landlord licence in Salford? A quick check

1. Check whether the address is inside one of the two selective areas.
2. If 5 or more people from 2 or more households share facilities, you need a mandatory HMO licence.
3. If it's a converted block of flats that doesn't meet the 1991 Building Regulations and fewer than two-thirds of the flats are owner-occupied, you'll need a section 257 licence from 24 November 2026.
4. If it's a single-household let inside a selective area, you need a selective licence.
5. Outside those areas, a single-household let doesn't need a licence.

People also ask about landlord licensing in Salford

Do I need a landlord licence in Salford? Yes if the property is in Eccles, Winton and Barton or Broughton, Kersal and Broughton Park, or it's a large HMO. Converted blocks need checking from 24 November 2026.

How much is a Salford selective licence? £609 for a first application in either area, and £589 (Eccles) or £570 (Broughton) for a subsequent one.

What is Salford's section 257 scheme? A citywide additional licensing scheme from 24 November 2026 for converted blocks of flats that don't meet building regulations.

What every Salford landlord must do, licence or not

A property licence doesn't replace the national rules; it adds to them. In Salford, as everywhere in England, a landlord must also:

• get an annual gas safety check from a Gas Safe registered engineer and hand tenants the record;
• arrange an electrical installation condition report (EICR) at least every 5 years;
• let only with an EPC of band E or better, unless an exemption is registered;
• protect a tenancy deposit within 30 days in an approved scheme;
• provide working smoke alarms on each storey and carbon monoxide alarms where there's a fixed combustion appliance, other than a gas cooker;
• check every adult tenant's Right to Rent before the tenancy begins.

Licence applications in most councils ask you to upload the gas record, EICR and EPC, so having them in date before you apply saves a round of requests.

What happens if you let without the right licence in Salford?

Councils treat unlicensed letting seriously. It's a criminal offence that can lead to prosecution and an unlimited fine, or a civil penalty of up to £40,000 per offence (the maximum rose from £30,000 on 1 May 2026). Tenants can also ask the First-tier Tribunal for a rent repayment order of up to 24 months' rent. Councils including Westminster, Brighton & Hove and Islington spell these figures out on their licensing pages. A duly made application is your protection, so don't wait for the council to find the property first.

Keeping to your licence conditions

Getting the licence is a one-off; keeping to its conditions lasts the life of the licence, which is usually up to 5 years. Conditions commonly require you to produce a current gas safety certificate on request, keep alarms in working order, supply electrical test results, and manage repairs and tenancy paperwork properly.

Gaffy is built for that ongoing part. You keep each property's gas certificate, EICR, EPC and licence in one vault with expiry dates, and Gaffy warns you before anything runs out. Tenants report repairs from a link that opens in their phone's browser, so every problem arrives with photos and a date, and you can show the council a clear repair log. It costs £12 a month for up to 5 properties and £4 a month for each additional property, with the first month free. We don't make licence applications for you.