Selective Licensing and Electrical Compliance in Manchester: What Landlords Must Know
Selective licensing has been expanding across Greater Manchester for several years, and the trend is accelerating. More boroughs are designating new areas, renewing existing schemes and tightening the conditions attached to each licence. For landlords who already meet the baseline electrical compliance requirements, selective licensing can still create unexpected obligations — and for those who do not, it dramatically increases the risk of enforcement action, financial penalties and even prosecution.
This guide explains what selective licensing means for electrical compliance in Manchester, which areas are affected, what additional conditions you may face and the practical steps to make sure your properties are fully covered.
What Is Selective Licensing?
Selective licensing is a power granted to local authorities under Part 3 of the Housing Act 2004. It allows a council to require all privately rented properties within a designated area to hold a licence, regardless of the property type. Unlike mandatory HMO licensing — which applies only to larger shared houses — selective licensing captures standard single-household tenancies, including terraced houses, flats and any other property let on an assured shorthold tenancy.
The stated purpose is to improve housing conditions in areas where the council has identified problems such as low demand, poor property conditions, antisocial behaviour or high levels of deprivation. In practice, it gives the local authority a mechanism to inspect properties, impose conditions on landlords and take enforcement action where those conditions are not met.
Each selective licensing scheme sets its own conditions, and those conditions almost always include requirements around electrical safety.
Which Manchester Areas Have Selective Licensing?
Greater Manchester is not a single licensing authority. Each of the ten boroughs operates its own schemes, and the picture changes regularly as new designations come into force and older ones are renewed or expanded.
Salford
Salford City Council has operated one of the most extensive selective licensing schemes in the region. The scheme covers large parts of the city including Broughton, Eccles, Swinton, Pendleton, Langworthy and Claremont. Salford's licence conditions include explicit requirements for a valid EICR, working smoke alarms on every floor and carbon monoxide alarms where solid fuel appliances are present. Salford has also been one of the most active councils in Greater Manchester for enforcement, including issuing civil penalty notices to landlords operating without a licence.
Oldham
Oldham Council has designated selective licensing areas across parts of Coldhurst, Werneth and Westwood. The scheme targets areas with high concentrations of private rented stock and documented property condition issues. Licence conditions require landlords to provide evidence of a satisfactory EICR and to complete any remedial work identified by the inspection.
Rochdale
Rochdale Borough Council has introduced selective licensing in parts of the town centre, Milkstone, Deeplish and Castlemoor. The conditions mirror the pattern seen across Greater Manchester: a valid EICR is a baseline requirement, and the council expects to see documentation at the point of licence application or renewal.
Tameside
Tameside Council has explored selective licensing in parts of Ashton-under-Lyne and surrounding areas. Where schemes are active, the licence conditions include electrical safety documentation and compliance with the Electrical Safety Standards in the Private Rented Sector (England) Regulations 2020.
Manchester City Council
Manchester City Council has not operated a borough-wide selective licensing scheme but has used selective licensing powers in targeted areas and has periodically consulted on expanding coverage. Landlords in Manchester city centre and surrounding wards should monitor council announcements, as new designations can be introduced with relatively short lead times.
How Selective Licensing Intersects With Electrical Compliance
The Electrical Safety Standards in the Private Rented Sector (England) Regulations 2020 already require every private landlord in England to have a valid EICR for each tenanted property and to supply a copy to the tenant. That obligation exists whether or not the property is in a selective licensing area. The question, then, is what selective licensing adds on top.
The EICR Becomes a Licence Condition
In a selective licensing area, your EICR is not just a legal requirement under the 2020 regulations — it is also a condition of your property licence. This matters because breaching a licence condition is a separate offence from breaching the electrical safety regulations. A landlord who fails to maintain a valid EICR in a licensing area faces potential enforcement on two fronts: from the electrical safety regulations and from the licensing scheme itself.
Evidence at Application and Renewal
Most licensing schemes require you to submit evidence of a valid EICR as part of your licence application. If your EICR has expired, is unsatisfactory or does not exist, the council may refuse to grant the licence, grant it with additional conditions or flag the property for inspection. At renewal — typically every five years — you will need to demonstrate ongoing compliance.
Additional Conditions Beyond the EICR
Some licensing schemes impose conditions that go beyond the baseline EICR requirement. These can include requirements to complete remedial work within a specified timescale, to use a contractor registered with an approved competent person scheme such as NICEIC or NAPIT, to install RCD protection across all circuits or to carry out PAT testing on any appliances provided by the landlord. The exact conditions vary by council and by scheme, so you need to read the specific licence conditions that apply to your property — not just assume that a valid EICR is sufficient.
Inspections and Spot Checks
Selective licensing gives the council a legal basis to inspect your property. These inspections can be triggered by a tenant complaint, a routine audit of licensed properties or a targeted enforcement campaign. Inspectors will check that the conditions of the licence are being met, and electrical safety is one of the most commonly checked areas. If you cannot produce a valid EICR on request, or if the inspector identifies electrical hazards that should have been addressed, you are exposed to enforcement action.
Penalties for Non-Compliance
The penalties for failing to comply with selective licensing conditions — including electrical safety conditions — are significant.
Operating Without a Licence
Renting out a property in a selective licensing area without a licence is a criminal offence under the Housing Act 2004. On conviction, the maximum fine is unlimited. Councils can also impose civil penalty notices of up to 30,000 pounds as an alternative to prosecution.
Breaching Licence Conditions
Breaching a condition of your licence — including the condition to maintain a valid EICR — can also result in prosecution or a civil penalty notice. The penalty for a first breach is typically in the range of 5,000 to 15,000 pounds, but repeat offences or serious breaches can attract higher penalties.
Rent Repayment Orders
If you operate without a licence, your tenant can apply to the First-tier Tribunal for a rent repayment order covering up to twelve months of rent. The local authority can also apply on behalf of tenants. This can represent a substantial financial liability, particularly for landlords with multiple unlicensed properties.
Impact on Section 21 Notices
A landlord who has not obtained a required selective licence cannot serve a valid Section 21 notice. This means you cannot use the no-fault eviction process until the property is properly licensed. Combined with the existing restriction that prevents Section 21 where no valid EICR has been supplied to the tenant, operating in a licensing area without compliance effectively removes your ability to recover possession of the property through the standard route.
How to Check If Your Property Is in a Licensing Area
Every council publishes details of its selective licensing designations, usually on its housing or private rented sector pages. The simplest approach is to search for your borough name followed by "selective licensing" and check the current map or list of designated areas. Many councils provide an online postcode checker.
If you own properties across multiple Greater Manchester boroughs, you need to check each one separately. A property in Salford may be fully within a licensing area while a property two miles away in Trafford may not be covered by any scheme.
If you are unsure, contact the relevant council's private sector housing team directly. They can confirm whether your property is in a designated area and what conditions apply.
Practical Steps to Get Compliant
Step 1: Check Every Property
If you have not already done so, check whether each of your rental properties falls within a selective licensing area. Do not assume that a property outside the city centre is exempt — many of the designated areas are in suburban and outer-borough locations.
Step 2: Obtain or Renew Your EICR
If any property does not have a current, satisfactory EICR, arrange one immediately. Under the 2020 regulations, the EICR must be carried out by a qualified person — typically an electrician registered with NICEIC, NAPIT or ELECSA. If the report returns an unsatisfactory result, you are legally required to complete the remedial work within 28 days or within the timescale specified by the inspector for urgent defects. Our guide to local authority enforcement explains what happens when councils follow up.
Step 3: Complete Any Remedial Work Promptly
Do not let outstanding remedial work sit unresolved. In a licensing area, an unsatisfactory EICR with unfinished remedial work is a licence condition breach as well as a regulatory breach. The cost of remedial work is almost always less than the cost of a civil penalty notice.
Step 4: Keep Your Documentation in Order
Maintain a file for each property that includes the current EICR, any remedial work certificates, the licence itself and copies of any correspondence with the council. If the council requests evidence of compliance, you want to be able to produce it immediately.
Step 5: Monitor for New Designations
Selective licensing areas change. New schemes are introduced, existing schemes are renewed with updated conditions and some schemes expire without renewal. Set a reminder to check your council's licensing page at least once a year, and pay attention to any consultation notices — these are your early warning that a new designation may be coming.
Book Your EICR With Manchester Compliance
If you need an EICR for a property in a selective licensing area — or anywhere in Greater Manchester — we can help. We work with landlords and letting agents across Salford, Oldham, Rochdale, Tameside, Stockport and all surrounding areas, and we understand the specific licence conditions that apply in each borough.
Phone: 0161-XXX-XXXX Email: hello@manchestercompliance.co.uk Address: 25 Holden Clough Drive, Ashton-under-Lyne, OL7 9TH
We offer same-week EICR appointments, transparent pricing with no hidden fees and full support with any remedial work your property needs to pass. Whether you have one property or a portfolio of fifty, we can help you stay compliant and avoid the penalties that come with getting it wrong.