• Skip to content
  • Skip to navigation
Logo: Rotherham Metropolitan Borough Council
Your Account
  • Menu
Close menu
Close
  • About the Council
  • Business and Economy
  • Children and Families
  • Community and Living
  • Council Tax and Benefits
  • Education and Learning
  • Environment and Waste
  • Health and Social Care
  • Housing
  • Jobs and Careers
  • Leisure and Culture
  • Planning and Development
  • Transport and Streets
  • See all news
  • See all events
  1. Home
  2. Housing
  3. Private housing
  4. Selective Licensing 1 May 2020 to April 2025

Selective Licensing 1 May 2020 to April 2025

In this section

  1. Public Notice of declaration of selective licensing areas
  2. What is Selective Licensing?
  3. Areas subject to selective licensing
  4. Apply for a selective license and fee information
  5. Project Progress update
  6. Benefits of Selective Licensing
  7. You are here: Selective Licensing Exemptions
  8. Enforcement
  9. Typical Licensing Conditions
  10. Frequently asked Questions
  11. Private Sector Selective Licensing Survey 2023

Selective Licensing Exemptions

Some properties are exempt from licensing, in some circumstances.

Your property is completely exempt if:

  • It is subject to a current prohibition order
  • It is being used for business premises
  • It requires another type of licence (e.g. a HMO licence)
  • It has a tenancy for agricultural land/holdings
  • It is controlled by:
    • A local housing authority
    • A registered Social Landlord
    • A police authority or Metropolitan police authority
    • A fire and rescue authority
    • A health service body
  • It is a property occupied only by students undertaking a full-time course of further or higher education. Also where the person managing or in control of it is the educational establishment
  • The tenancy agreement has been granted for more than 21 years and the agreement does not contain a provision which allows the landlord to end the tenancy (other than forfeiture) earlier than the term of the lease. (The house or dwelling must be occupied by the original person who was granted the tenancy or any members of their family). These are known as “protected tenancies”
  • The tenant is a member of the landlord’s family as specifically designated by the provisions of the Housing Act 2004. (The house must be the occupiers’ main residence. The person granting the occupancy must be the freeholder or leaseholder, which is for a period of more than 21 years. This lease must not contain a provision allowing the landlord to end the tenancy (other than forfeiture) earlier than the term of the lease)
  • The tenancy or license is granted for the occupancy of a holiday home
  • The occupier shares the accommodation with the landlord or licensor or a member of the landlord or licensor’s family.

You may be eligible for a temporary exemption notice if you take steps to ensure that the house does not need a licence, for example:

  • Where there is a sale agreed to someone who intends to live in the property themselves
  • Where the owner is moving back into the property
  • Where there is current conversion works to change the use of the property to commercial premises

If you believe you may qualify for an exemption, you should contact us immediately.

Please note that any building exempt or temporarily exempt from licensing remains as such as long as there are no changes in the circumstances relating to the exemption. Where the Council confirms exemption, the landlord should notify the Selective Licensing Tteam eam team immediately in the event of any changes which may require the property to become licensed. It will be a criminal offence to operate a licensable property without a licence.

See complete exemption criteria

Apply for a temporary exemption notice

This file may not be accessible for users of assistive technology.

Apply for a complete exemption notice

This file may not be accessible for users of assistive technology.

Contact us

  • Previous page: Benefits of Selective Licensing
  • Next page: Enforcement

Stay connected

Sign up for our newsletter
Footer Logo: Rotherham Metropolitan Borough Council
  • About this website
  • Accessibility statement
  • Privacy
  • Languages
  • Contact Us
  • Location
  • Terms and conditions
  • Facebook logo
  • Twitter logo
  • YouTube logo
  • Instagram logo
  • LinkedIn logo

All content © 2025 Rotherham Metropolitan Borough Council. All Rights Reserved.

Designed and Powered by Jadu.

chatbot launch button image
Left Right
Full Wide Split Narrow
Chatbot avatar image
Hi, I'm Bailey
I'm here to answer your questions.

Hi, I'm Bailey, how can I help you today? You can ask me questions relating to a number of council services.

To start a chat you will need to click 'continue' to confirm you have read and understood our terms and conditions Privacy Policy.

Privacy Statement