Would a purpose-built 3-storey building consisting entirely of self-contained flats be liable for licensing?
At the moment the Council consider that the building itself would not be subject to mandatory licensing but, any one of the individual flats that is occupied by 5 or more persons, forming 2 or more households, who share amenities could be subject to Licensing. There is currently a debate over what floors are taken into account in calculating the number of storeys. Because of the differences in interpretation, the Council has referred the matter to its Legal Services for their opinion. If you own or manage a property which may be affected you are strongly advised to return to this site for updates. Once we receive Legal Services’ opinion, we will update the web site immediately and frequently asked questions. Notwithstanding the above, these flats together with those in converted blocks may be subject to Additional or Selective Licensing in the future. Self-contained flats in converted blocks are also currently exempted by the government.
