Renting in the UK?
Check it's licensed first.
Protect yourself from illegal and substandard housing. Verify any rental property's licence status in seconds — before you sign.
Free for everyone. Enter at least 5 characters (spaces don't count) to search council licensing records.
10 / 10 free searches leftThree steps to more informed decisions
No sign-up needed. No downloads. Just enter an address and get an instant answer about your property's licensing status.
Enter Address
Type in any UK postcode or street address. Our system searches across council licensing databases.
We Verify
OkToLive cross-references your address against council licensing records to verify compliance status.
Get Your Answer
Receive a clear result: licensed and safe, or unlicensed with guidance on what to do next.
Building the most comprehensive private rented sector licensing database in the UK.
We are building the UK's most comprehensive rental licensing register — connecting tenants, landlords, and councils around a single source of truth.
Our platform currently displays information from councils with public and available records.
Rental licensing exists to protect you
A licence is a legal requirement for many rental properties in UK. There are three types:
- HMO mandatory licensing applies to properties rented by five or more people from more than one household sharing facilities.
- HMO additional licensing covers smaller shared properties where the local council has extended licensing requirements.
- Selective licensing applies to individual self-contained properties in designated areas — including single-tenancy flats and houses.
- Fire safety equipment (alarms, extinguishers, fire doors).
- Adequate kitchen and bathroom facilities.
- Proper refuse disposal arrangements.
- Safe electrical and gas installations.
- Acceptable room sizes and occupancy limits.
- Responsibility for licensing compliance lies with the landlord, not the tenant.
- If a property is unlicensed, tenants have legal routes to seek redress and recover losses.
- Landlords who fail to comply face penalties under the Renters' Rights Act 2025.
- Local councils have the power to inspect, issue notices, and take formal enforcement action where licensing requirements are not met.
- Your landlord has been assessed by the local council.
- They meet the legal standard of a "fit and proper person".
- The property is maintained to the required safety and habitability standards.
- Your tenancy is backed by a clear legal framework.
* Each council can update its legal requirements at any time.
One platform. Every stakeholder.
Whether you're renting a home, managing a property, or enforcing licensing standards across a borough — OkToLive puts the information you need in one place.
Know your home
is safe
Moving into a rented home? Don't leave your safety to chance. Verify licensing status before you sign a tenancy agreement.
- Instant verification — no waiting, no sign-up
- Clear results: licensed or unlicensed
- Guidance on next steps if unlicensed
- Free for 10 searches/month
Stay compliant
Managing a rental property in the UK? Verify your licence status, confirm your listing is accurate, and stay ahead of new licensing obligations — before they become enforcement issues.
- Build tenant trust through visible compliance
- Verify your own licence is publicly visible and accurate
- Stay ahead of new licensing scheme designations
- Reduce risk of penalty notices and prosecution
Smarter enforcement
Amplify your licensing enforcement capacity without increasing headcount. Turn public engagement into actionable compliance intelligence for your borough.
- Identify unlicensed properties through our platform
- Real-time dashboard with compliance analytics
- Increase licensing revenue recovery
- Partnership model — no procurement hassle
A system under pressure
Across the UK, hundreds of thousands of residential properties require a licence — yet enforcement remains severely under-resourced. In England alone, research shows that one third of councils operate with two or fewer dedicated enforcement officers, and 63% survey their housing stock infrequently or not at all.
The result is a compliance gap that affects everyone: tenants unaware of their rights, landlords operating without clear visibility of their obligations, and councils struggling to enforce the standards the law requires — despite civil penalties of up to £40,000 under the Renters' Rights Act 2025, now in force.
OkToLive brings licensing data together in one place, making compliance visible to everyone.
Your licensing transparency starts here
Whether you're a tenant, a landlord or a council looking to improve safety and compliance — we're ready.