Selective licensing in North Yorkshire

Which licences a rented house needs in North Yorkshire, and where. England. Checked 11 October 2026.

North Yorkshire runs selective licensing on top of mandatory licensing.

Mandatory HMO licence: 5 or more people forming 2 or more households sharing facilities.

Additional licensing

Extends HMO licensing to smaller HMOs (typically 3 or 4 people) in a designated area.

Could not be verified from the council page

Council pages read do not state whether an additional HMO licensing scheme operates; the Scarborough South page exempts 'additional licensed HMOs as per the council's current additional licensing scheme' but no scheme page was found. Source: https://www.northyorks.gov.uk/housing-and-homelessness/selective-licensing/selective-licensing-scarborough-south

Selective licensing

Every privately rented home in a designated area needs a licence, HMO or not.

StatusIn forceWherenamed areas: Scarborough South (part of Weaponness and Ramshill ward); Scarborough Town (parts of Castle, Falsgrave and Stepney, and Northstead)

Scarborough South in force 1 May 2022 to 30 April 2027; Scarborough Town in force 1 June 2024 to 31 May 2029. Consultation 3 August to 12 October 2026 on renewing Scarborough South for five years from May 2027 and extending it to all properties on Valley Road and Esplanade Gardens (proposal only, to be reported later in 2026). Source: https://www.northyorks.gov.uk/scarborough-south-selective-licensing-consultation

Council HMO page · HMO Article 4 in North Yorkshire

Check an exact postcode for Article 4

Licensing and planning are separate. The HMO Article 4 checker tells you whether a small HMO needs planning permission at the address.

Is a postcode inside an HMO Article 4 area?

See this on every Rightmove listing.Kerbio puts the Article 4 answer, licensing, the council's HMO register and sold prices on the Rightmove, Zoopla or OnTheMarket page itself. Free for 7 days, then £39 a month.

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Sources: North Yorkshire council, gov.uk HMO licensing. Schemes change; confirm with the council before you offer.