INDEPENDENT UK HOUSING GUIDE · UPDATED 2026-10-17
Salford HMO licensing and planning: which records are current?
Salford has several different HMO licensing and planning sources. Our directory keeps official statistics, historic licences, application records and unverified letting adverts in separate evidence categories.
Mandatory licensing in Salford
Salford City Council says that a property occupied by five or more people forming two or more households normally needs a mandatory HMO licence, subject to the applicable rules and exemptions. Consult its current application and licensing guidance rather than relying on a historical extract.
Older additional licensing for three- and four-person HMOs
The council says its earlier additional licensing scheme for smaller three- and four-person HMOs ended on 19 July 2026, and that licences under that scheme ended then. The end of that scheme does not remove landlords’ other HMO safety duties or any separate applicable licensing requirements.
Section 257 HMOs: check the new scheme dates
The council has published a citywide Section 257 additional HMO licensing designation scheduled to commence on 24 November 2026. Section 257 concerns certain buildings converted into self-contained flats under a separate statutory definition. As at 17 October 2026, this future start date should not be confused with the expired small-HMO scheme.
Salford HMO planning and Article 4
Salford states that an Article 4 direction affecting small HMO changes of use began in 2018 in specified parts of the city. Planning permission requirements can depend on the area and date; check the latest council planning documents and the specific location.
Why our historical dataset is labelled historical
Our Salford licensing snapshot was recorded in February 2026; some licence details have since changed. Historical licence records are not a list of all HMOs presently operating. New planning applications are not evidence of a currently occupied house-share, and our location markers may be approximate.
Original official sources
Verify the relevant date and policy on the original pages:
Salford: apply for an HMO licence ↗
Salford: additional licence expiry information ↗