News

Successful appeal against selective licence conditions

Sunday, May 17th, 2026 - London Property Licensing

A specialist letting and property management agency based in Loughborough has successfully challenged Charnwood Borough Council at the First-tier Tribunal over unreasonable selective licence conditions on behalf of two of their landlords.

The action taken by AST Lettings Ltd was part funded with assistance from Michael Massey from Freckeltons Ltd and a number of their affected landlords.

Richard Tacagni MCIEH CEnvH of London Property Licensing was instructed to provide professional representation and advice throughout the proceedings.

Selective Licensing was introduced by Charnwood Borough Council to improve housing standards in two wards. AST Lettings Ltd argued that certain requirements imposed by the council relating to fire risk assessments, gas safety, waste disposal, ongoing management and various other conditions went beyond their statutory powers and placed unreasonable burdens on responsible landlords.

Following constructive dialogue between the parties, the two consolidated appeals were settled via a Consent Order in March 2025, a few days before the Tribunal hearing. Full agreement was reached on all issues, with the council agreeing to amend or remove all disputed licence conditions.

As an example, selective licence conditions requiring that every single family home must fully comply with the LACORS fire safety guidance and be subject to a fire risk assessment were deleted.

By successfully challenging these conditions, AST Lettings Ltd has helped establish a more balanced regulatory environment that prevents overreach while maintaining high safety standards.

Stephen Nottridge a Director of AST Lettings Ltd said:

“Our goal has always been to ensure a fair and transparent rental market for both tenants and landlords. While we fully support the objective of improving housing quality, local authorities must operate within the law. This ruling provides much-needed clarity and ensures that licensing conditions remain proportionate and legally sound.”

The Tribunal’s decision is expected to have wider implications for the hundreds of landlords operating within the Charnwood selective licensing area. Charnwood Council have just announced they will reissue amended licenses to over 1,000 landlords as a direct result of this Tribunal appeal. An update on the council’s website states:

“Following an agreement reached at First Tier Tribunal in 2025, our Selective Licensing Conditions have been amended. New draft Selective Licences will be sent out to all licence holders including the new conditions.”

Richard Tacagni, MD, London Property Licensing commented:

“I was pleased to represent AST Lettings Ltd and help to secure a balanced and proportionate outcome. This case acts as an important reminder that councils must correctly and appropriately apply conditions when implementing a selective licensing scheme, particularly as failure to comply with any licence condition is a criminal offence.”

Our free guide containing information about selective licensing is available here.