Property licensing in London

At a glance

• Selective licensing (every privately rented home in the area needs a licence): Barking and Dagenham Council, Brent Council, Enfield Council, Hammersmith and Fulham Council, Haringey Council, Lewisham Council, Newham Council, Redbridge Council, Waltham Forest Council.
• Additional HMO licensing (smaller shared houses, usually 3 or 4 people from 2 or more households): Barking and Dagenham Council, Brent Council, Enfield Council, Hammersmith and Fulham Council, Haringey Council, Lewisham Council, Newham Council, Redbridge Council, Tower Hamlets Council, Waltham Forest Council.

Mandatory HMO licensing applies in every council area in England: a licence is needed for a house shared by 5 or more people forming 2 or more households.

Council by council

Barking and Dagenham Council

• Selective licensing: Whole borough: three designated areas covering all wards (Abbey, Alibon, Barking Riverside, Beam, Becontree, Chadwell Heath, Eastbrook & Rush Green, Eastbury, Gascoigne, Goresbrook, Heath, Longbridge, Mayesbrook…. From 6 April 2025 to 5 April 2030. Fee: £950 per property (Part A £650 on application, Part B £300); Part B discount of £200 (Silver compliance award) or £250 (Gold compliance award, accredited landlords).
• Additional HMO licensing: Whole borough (entire area of the London Borough of Barking and Dagenham); HMOs occupied by 3 or more persons forming 2 or more households not covered by mandatory licensing. From 9 January 2025 to 8 January 2030. Fee: £1,400 per HMO (Part A £1,000 on application, Part B £400); Part B discount of £200 (Silver) or £250 (Gold compliance award).

Full details for Barking and Dagenham Council, including how to apply and penalties.

Brent Council

• Selective licensing: Designation 1/2023: Dollis Hill, Harlesden & Kensal Green and Willesden Green wards. From 1 August 2023 to 31 July 2028. Fee: £640 per property (£340 on application, non-refundable; £300 on grant of licence); renewal £600.
• Selective licensing: Designation 2/2023 (confirmed by the Secretary of State on 30 November 2023): Alperton, Barnhill, Brondesbury Park, Cricklewood & Mapesbury, Kenton, Kilburn, Kingsbury, Northwick Park, Preston, Queens Park, Queensbury…. From 1 April 2024 to 31 March 2029. Fee: £640 per property (£340 on application, non-refundable; £300 on grant of licence); renewal £600.
• Additional HMO licensing: Whole borough (the whole area of the district of the London Borough of Brent). From 2 February 2026 to 2 February 2031. Fee: £1,040 per licence from 2 February 2026 (£540 on application, £500 on grant of licence); renewal £940.

Full details for Brent Council, including how to apply and penalties.

Enfield Council

• Selective licensing: 17 wards in two designations. Designation One: Bowes, Brimsdown, Bullsmoor, Carterhatch, Edmonton Green, Enfield Lock, Haselbury, Jubilee, Lower Edmonton, Ponders End, Southbury, Upper Edmonton and Whitewebbs.…. From 1 September 2026 to 31 August 2031. Fee: £750 per property (Part 1 £450 on application, non-refundable; Part 2 £300 when the draft licence is issued); discounts for accreditation (£50), EPC C or above (£100) and multi-dwelling buildings (£100 per additional flat).
• Additional HMO licensing: Whole borough (HMOs occupied by 3 or more persons forming 2 or more households not covered by mandatory licensing). From 1 September 2025 to 31 August 2030. Fee: £1,450 per licence (Part 1 £800 on application, non-refundable; Part 2 £650 when the draft licence is issued); £50 accreditation and £100 EPC C-or-above discounts off Part 2.

Full details for Enfield Council, including how to apply and penalties.

Hammersmith and Fulham Council

• Selective licensing: 24 designated streets: Askew Road, Baron's Court Road, Bloemfontein Road, Blythe Road, Coningham Road, Crookham Road, Dalling Road, Dawes Road, Fulham Road, Goldhawk Road, Greyhound Road, King Street, Lime Grove, New…. From 5 June 2022 to 4 June 2027. Fee: £755 per licence (£80 discount for members of an accredited landlord body such as the NRLA or London Landlord Accreditation Scheme, or £50 discount for signing the landlord rental charter; only one discount per licence).
• Additional HMO licensing: Whole borough (the whole area of the London Borough of Hammersmith & Fulham). From 5 June 2022 to 4 June 2027. Fee: £755 per licence (£80 discount for members of an accredited landlord body such as the NRLA or London Landlord Accreditation Scheme, or £50 discount for signing the landlord rental charter; only one discount per licence).

Full details for Hammersmith and Fulham Council, including how to apply and penalties.

Haringey Council

• Selective licensing: 14 wards: Bounds Green, Bruce Castle, Harringay, Hermitage & Gardens, Noel Park, Northumberland Park, Seven Sisters, South Tottenham, St Ann's, Tottenham Central, Tottenham Hale, West Green, White Hart Lane and Woodside. From 17 November 2022 to 17 November 2027. Fee: £705.84 per property for 5 years (Part A £411.57 on application, Part B £294.27 after approval); £50 off Part B for accredited landlords, £50 off Part B for EPC C or above, £75 off Part A per flat from the 2nd flat for 3 or more flats in the same block.
• Additional HMO licensing: Whole borough (all HMOs not subject to mandatory licensing, including section 257 HMOs). From 17 June 2024 to 16 June 2029. Fee: £1,411.68 per HMO (£641.48 on application, £770.20 before the licence is issued).

Full details for Haringey Council, including how to apply and penalties.

Lewisham Council

• Selective licensing: Three designations covering the pre-May 2022 wards of Brockley, Catford South, Lewisham Central, New Cross, Perry Vale, Rushey Green, Crofton Park, Evelyn, Ladywell, Lee Green, Sydenham, Bellingham, Downham, Forest…. From 1 July 2024 to 1 July 2029. Fee: £640 per property (£160 on application and £480 when the licence is granted); discounts for early applications, accredited landlords and eligible charities are taken off the second payment.
• Additional HMO licensing: Whole borough (the entire area of the London Borough of Lewisham). From 5 April 2022 to 4 April 2027. Fee: £500 per lettable unit (£250 on application and £250 before the licence is issued); £400 for accredited landlords; £250 for transfers from an existing licence or eligible charities.

Full details for Lewisham Council, including how to apply and penalties.

Newham Council

• Selective licensing: All wards except Royal Victoria and Stratford Olympic Park (22 of 24 wards): Beckton, Boleyn, Canning Town North, Canning Town South, Custom House, East Ham, East Ham South, Forest Gate North, Forest Gate South, Green…. From 1 June 2023 to 31 May 2028. Fee: £750 per property (Part A £400 on application, Part B £350 on grant); £50 off each for accredited landlord membership and EPC C or higher; £400 for newly private rented properties with EPC C+ or Newham nightly paid temporary accommodation; multi-dwelling £700 for second flat onwards.
• Additional HMO licensing: All wards except Royal Victoria and Stratford Olympic Park (22 of 24 wards); HMOs occupied by three or four people forming two or more households. From 1 January 2023 to 31 December 2027. Fee: £1,250 per HMO (Part A £400 on application, Part B £850 on grant); £800 for newly private rented properties with EPC C or higher.

Full details for Newham Council, including how to apply and penalties.

Redbridge Council

• Selective licensing: Scheme 3: Ilford Town and Valentines wards. From 1 November 2023 to 31 October 2028. Fee: £997.69 per property for applications from 1 April 2026 to 31 March 2027 (£371.05 on application, £626.64 if approved; £591.64 second payment for accredited landlords); £139.23 extra for paper applications.
• Selective licensing: Scheme 4 (confirmed by the Secretary of State on 20 December 2023): Aldborough, Barkingside, Chadwell, Churchfields, Clementswood, Cranbrook, Fairlop, Goodmayes, Hainault, Loxford, Mayfield, Newbury, Seven Kings, South…. From 8 April 2024 to 7 April 2029. Fee: £997.69 per property for applications from 1 April 2026 to 31 March 2027 (£371.05 on application, £626.64 if approved; £591.64 second payment for accredited landlords); £139.23 extra for paper applications.
• Additional HMO licensing: Whole borough (the whole area of the London Borough of Redbridge); HMOs let to 3 or more people in 2 or more households not covered by mandatory licensing, plus certain section 257 converted buildings. From 18 September 2023 to 17 September 2028. Fee: 2026/27: £696.14 stage 1 plus stage 2 of £1,169.20 (2 households) rising to £2,032.37 (10+ households), i.e. £1,865.34 to £2,728.51 in total; £35 off stage 2 with landlord accreditation.

Full details for Redbridge Council, including how to apply and penalties.

Tower Hamlets Council

• Additional HMO licensing: The whole Borough of Tower Hamlets. From 1 April 2024 to 31 March 2029. Fee: £1,323 online (£618 Part A, £787.50 Part B); £1,550.50 postal (£707 Part A, £926 Part B).

Full details for Tower Hamlets Council, including how to apply and penalties.

Waltham Forest Council

• Selective licensing: 20 out of 22 wards in the borough (excluding Hatch Lane/Highams Park North and Endlebury); properties let to an individual, a single family or two unrelated sharers. From 1 May 2025 to 30 April 2030. Fee: £895 per property (Part A £300 on application, Part B £595 on grant); multi-property discount £770; EPC C £800; EPC A or B £600; eligible charities £400.
• Additional HMO licensing: Whole borough; HMOs outside mandatory HMO licensing (three or more people in two or more households). From 1 April 2025 to 31 March 2030. Fee: £1,200 per HMO (Part A £600 on application, Part B £600 on grant); multi-property discount £1,075; EPC C £1,105; EPC A or B £800.

Full details for Waltham Forest Council, including how to apply and penalties.

How to check whether your property needs a licence

1. Find the council for the property’s address. Our licensing checker suggests the likely council from the postcode.
2. Check which schemes cover the street. Schemes often cover only some wards, so use the council’s own map or postcode search.
3. Apply before you let the property, or as soon as a new scheme starts. Councils can impose a civil penalty or prosecute for an unlicensed property, and tenants can apply for a rent repayment order.

New to this? Read HMO licensing explained, and keep your gas safety, EICR and EPC dates in order with our compliance record. This page is general information, not legal advice.