Landlord Licensing Guide

Durham County Council has a live landlord licensing scheme

Unitary · North East · Last researched 2026-08-29

Selective licensing in Durham County Council

🔴 IS LIVE NOW

County-wide selective licensing (36 wards, 2022); runs 2022-04-01 to 2027-03-31; coverage: partial; fee: £585 (New application)

Designated areas: 36 wards across County Durham (full list on council pages). Partial-coverage schemes only apply on specific streets — check the council's own boundary map for your exact address.

Medium confidence — sourced from a licensing data aggregator, not independently re-verified on the council's own domain this pass. Sources: https://www.kammadata.com/uk-property-guide/property-licensing-guide-for-county-durham/

Additional licensing in Durham County Council

✓ No additional scheme found

Researched with no evidence of a live scheme. Licensing status changes on a weeks-to-months cadence, not annually — this is why we date every page.

National obligations that apply everywhere in England

These apply regardless of Durham County Council's own licensing rules — every England landlord is on the hook for these:

Annual Gas Safety Certificate (CP12) — Any property with gas — unlimited fine and/or imprisonment on conviction if missing.
Electrical Installation Condition Report (EICR) — Every rental property — a live legal requirement in England since 2020.
Energy Performance Certificate (EPC) — Every rental property — currently rated E or above to be let legally.
Tenancy deposit protection — Any deposit taken — must be protected in a government-approved scheme within 30 days.
Right to Rent checks — Every tenant — landlords must verify immigration status before letting.
PRS Landlord Database registration — Phasing in nationally 2026–2028 under the Renters' Rights Act — a new, separate requirement from council licensing.

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Information, not legal advice. Compiled from public sources on 2026-08-29; licensing schemes change on a weeks-to-months cadence, not annually, so always confirm directly with Durham County Council before relying on this for a real letting decision. Overall confidence for this page: medium.