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Private Rented Housing: Licensing

Asked by Gareth BaconConservativeMinistry of Housing, Communities and Local GovernmentTabled Answered 9 March 2026UIN 116839

The question

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what discussions he has had with Local Government organisations on the administration of Selective Licensing schemes and how learnings from those schemes are informing development of the PRS database.

Answered by Matthew Pennycook

Selective licensing schemes and the Private Rented Sector Database have entirely different purposes. Unlike the Database, individual selective licensing schemes enable more intensive proactive enforcement strategies to address specific local issues.

My Department has engaged extensively with local authorities in respect of the development of the Database. We are considering all relevant insights they have provided, including their experience of administrating selective licensing schemes. We will review any learnings from this engagement as we finalise the design of the service and refine the way the two systems work together.

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