North Yorkshire: landlord licensing

North Yorkshire operates discretionary property licensing. Here is what is in force, what is coming, and how to check whether your property is affected.

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Active selective licensing

Selective licensing applies to ordinary private rented homes (not just HMOs) within a designated area.

Selective licensing

active

Scarborough South: parts of Weaponness and Ramshill ward, 47 designated streets

Dates: 1 May 2022 – 30 Apr 2027
Approx. fee: £550 per single-household property
Wards / areas: Weaponness and Ramshill
Designated streets: 47

Show the 47 designated streets

Transcribed from the council's published designation. Where only part of a street is covered, the house numbers are shown exactly as the council writes them.

Albion Crescent
Albion Road
Alga Terrace
Back Crown Terrace
Back Oriel Crescent
Back South Street
Back Trinity Road
Belmont Road
Cambridge Terrace
Carlton Terrace
Craven Street
Cromwell Gardens
Cromwell Parade
Cromwell Road
Cromwell Terrace
Crown Close Back Road
Crown Crescent
Crown Crescent Back Road
Crown Terrace
Esplanade (1-30 inc.)
Esplanade Gardens (37 only)
Filey Road (1-19 odds only)
Fulford Road (1 - 5a and 17 odds and just 2a, 2b and 2c evens)
Greenfield Road
Grosvenor Crescent
Grosvenor Road
Montpellier Terrace
Oliver Street
Oriel Crescent
Prince of Wales Terrace
Princess Royal Lane
Princess Royal Terrace
Ramshill Road
Royal Avenue
Royal Crescent
Royal Crescent Lane
South Street
St Martins Avenue
St Martins Place
St Martins Road
St Martins Square
Trinity Road
Valley Road (evens only 32-58)
West Street (1-15 odds and 2-8 evens)
West Terrace
Westbourne Grove
Westbourne Road

Official local authority licensing designation

Selective licensing

active

Scarborough Town: 100+ designated streets

Dates: 1 Jun 2024 – 31 May 2029
Approx. fee: £695 total per single unit
Wards / areas: Castle, Falsgrave and Stepney, Northstead
Designated streets: 101

Show the 101 designated streets

Transcribed from the council's published designation. Where only part of a street is covered, the house numbers are shown exactly as the council writes them.

Aberdeen Place
Aberdeen Street
Aberdeen Terrace
Aberdeen Walk
Albemarle Back Road
Albemarle Crescent
Albert Street
Alma Parade
Alma Square
Arundel Place
Bar Street
Barwick Street
Bedford Street
Belgrave Crescent
Belle Vue Parade
Belle Vue Street
Beulah Terrace
Blands Cliff
Blenheim Street
Blenheim Terrace (1 to 29)
Cambridge Street
Castle Road (1 to 93a odds and 2 to 110 evens - including Wilson Mariners homes)
Clarence Place
Clarence Road
Clark Street
Clifton Street
Dean Road (1 to 51 including Wheelhouse Square)
Durham Street
Durham Place
Eastborough
Elders Street
Falconers Road
Falconers Square
Falsgrave Road (1 to 143 odds and 2 to 118 evens - including West Park Terrace)
Fire Station Yard
Globe Street
Hanover Road
Harcourt Place
Hope Street
Hoxton Road
Howard Street
Huntriss Row
James Street
King Street
Leading Post Street
Market Street
Market Way
Marlborough Street
Marlborough Terrace
Merchants Row
Mill Street
Morgan Street
Nelson Street
Newborough
New Queen Street
North Marine Road
North Street (including Providence Place)
Northway
Norwood Street
Oxford Street
Palace Hill
Palace Hill Lane
Pavilion Square
Pavilion Terrace
Peel Terrace
Princess Square (1 to 3)
Prospect Place
Prospect Road (1 to 39 odds only)
Queen Street (1 to 29 only)
Queens Parade
Queens Terrace
Regent Street
Roscoe Street
Sandringham Street
Sherwood Street
Silver Street
Stanley Street
St Helens Square
St Nicholas Street
St Thomas Street
Sussex Street
Swan Hill Road
Sydney Street
Tindall Street
Trafalgar Road
Trafalgar Square
Trafalgar Street West
Trafalgar Terrace
Union Street
Vincent Street
Valley Bridge Parade
Vernon Road (1 to 6)
Victoria Parade
Victoria Road
Victoria Street
Vine Street
West Square
Westborough
Westwood
William Street
Wrea Lane

Official local authority licensing designation

Mandatory HMO licensing (applies everywhere)

Regardless of local schemes, any property in North Yorkshire let to 5 or more people forming 2 or more households, who share a kitchen, bathroom or toilet, needs a mandatory HMO licence under the Housing Act 2004. Licences last up to 5 years and the fee is set by the council.

Penalties for operating unlicensed

Civil penalty of up to £40,000 per offence (raised from £30,000 on 1 May 2026).
Rent Repayment Order of up to 24 months' rent, claimable by the tenant.
Unlimited fine on criminal prosecution, plus possible banning order.
Once the national PRS Database is live, unregistered landlords can be blocked from regaining possession.

Notes

Both schemes in former Scarborough borough. No additional HMO licensing anywhere in North Yorkshire.

Frequently asked questions

Do I need a landlord licence in North Yorkshire?

North Yorkshire operates 2 selective licensing scheme(s). Whether your specific property needs a licence depends on its exact location and how it is let. Separately, mandatory HMO licensing still applies, to any property let to 5 or more people forming 2 or more households.

What is the penalty for an unlicensed property in North Yorkshire?

Operating a licensable property without a licence can lead to a civil penalty of up to £40,000 per offence, a Rent Repayment Order of up to 24 months' rent, an unlimited fine on prosecution, and a banning order for serious or repeat offenders.

Can a tenant in North Yorkshire claim rent back from an unlicensed landlord?

Yes. Letting a property that required a licence, without one, is an offence under section 72(1) or section 95(1) of the Housing Act 2004, and a tenant can apply to the First-tier Tribunal for a Rent Repayment Order of up to 24 months' rent for offences committed on or after 1 May 2026. No conviction is needed first, but the tribunal must be satisfied beyond reasonable doubt that the offence was committed, and the application must be made within two years of it. Tribunals award a percentage of the rent rather than the maximum, following the method in Acheampong v Roman [2022] UKUT 239 (LC).

Does your property need a licence?

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Renting in North Yorkshire?

If your home needed a licence and did not have one, you may be able to claim rent back

A Rent Repayment Order can be up to 24 months' rent, you apply to the tribunal yourself, and your landlord does not need to have been prosecuted. The deadline is two years from the offence.

Check my home free How Rent Repayment Orders work

🏛️ Government-backed data: built from official local authority licensing designations, ONS council boundaries and UK housing legislation (Housing Act 2004), verified as of July 2026. PRSCheck is an information service, not legal advice. Many schemes are designated at street or part-ward level; the paid report confirms the exact boundary and official source for your address. Browse all councils.