If you let property in Manchester — student houses in Fallowfield, Rusholme or Withington, terraces in Longsight or Moss Side, or city-centre and Salford-fringe flats — and HMRC has written to you, the first thing to know is that most enquiries are settled with organised paperwork, not disaster. We help you understand exactly what HMRC is asking for, gather the records for the years in question, and prepare a clear response.
The local rule that catches Manchester landlords out
Manchester licenses by area, and the map keeps growing. It runs selective licensing in named neighbourhoods, where every private rental — not just shared houses — needs a licence, plus additional HMO licensing in the student belts (Crumpsall, Moss Side, Rusholme). On 24 February 2025 the scheme expanded again, bringing about 1,863 more properties into licensing across Cheetham, Crumpsall, Harpurhey, Longsight, Miles Platting & Newton Heath and Moss Side — on top of the 3,500-plus already licensed since 2017.
The catch is that a property outside a scheme today can be inside one after the next expansion. Letting a property that needs a licence without one is an offence, with fines and rent-repayment orders. This is a council matter, not a tax one — but the licences you hold and the rents behind them are exactly the records an HMRC enquiry looks at. Always check the current position for your address with Manchester City Council.
Areas we support
- Student belts: Fallowfield, Withington, Rusholme, Victoria Park
- Selective-licensing areas: Cheetham, Crumpsall, Harpurhey, Longsight, Moss Side, Miles Platting & Newton Heath
- City centre, Ancoats, Northern Quarter and the Salford fringe
- Suburbs and surrounding Greater Manchester: Chorlton, Didsbury, Levenshulme
Why an HMRC enquiry can feel harder in Manchester
- An expanding licensing map — different properties come into scheme at different times, so licence records start on different dates.
- Heavy student market — HMOs re-let each academic year, many tenancies, deposits and rents to track.
- Fast-growing city-centre lettings — new-build flats, short and long lets mixed.
- Portfolios across several areas — some licensed, some not yet, easy for records to fragment.
What we do for landlords under enquiry
We help you deal with the enquiry from start to finish, on your side of the table:
- Explain the HMRC letter in plain English, so you know exactly what is being asked.
- Help you gather and organise the records for each property and year — use our Seven-Part Check.
- Help you prepare your reply — our reply-letter builder writes the safe first response — and, where something was missed, a Let Property Campaign disclosure.
- Give you the figures with our penalty estimator and liability estimator.
- Explain the letter and the deadline
- Help you organise records and spot gaps
- Help you prepare your response and any disclosure
- Give you the tools to work out the figures
- Your tax agent — you sign and send
- A regulated financial or legal adviser
- Able to guarantee an HMRC outcome
- The right place for a Code of Practice 9 case — get a specialist
Common questions from Manchester landlords
Do you only help landlords in Manchester?
No. This page is for Manchester landlords, but we help landlords anywhere in the UK facing an HMRC enquiry.
Manchester keeps adding licensing areas. Does that affect an HMRC enquiry?
Licensing is a council matter, separate from tax. But the licence fees you pay and the rents from each property are records HMRC will want to see, so keep them clearly as your properties come into the scheme.
Are you my tax agent?
No. We help you understand the letter, get your records in order and prepare your response. You sign and send it. Nothing here is regulated financial advice.
Do you work with my existing accountant?
Yes. Often our job is to get your records and response ready so your accountant can act efficiently. You remain their client for advice.
Landlord Tax Enquiry helps landlords prepare for and respond to HMRC enquiries. We are not a tax agent, not a regulated financial or legal adviser, and this page is general information, not advice on your own position. Local licensing figures are current at the review date; always confirm with Manchester City Council. Phone 07359 169970.