Your Licensing update for June

In our licensing blog this month, we round up all the latest licensing consultations and share details on how to respond, as well as outlining new schemes coming into force across the country. 

Schemes coming into force:

Westminster City Council - Additional Licensing

The council has confirmed its borough-wide additional licensing scheme will be renewed, coming into force on 31st August and ending on 30 August 2031.

The licence fee is £1,540, with discounts available for accredited landlords. Existing additional HMO licences will remain valid until their individual expiry dates and landlords can submit renewal applications up to three months before this date. Applications for new licences may be made from 1st June.

Further information about the scheme and where to apply can be found on the council’s website or by emailing [email protected]

London Borough of Hillingdon - Additional Licensing

Following consultation, the council has confirmed that a borough-wide additional licensing scheme will come into force on 24th August, ending on 23rd August 2031.

The council has excluded section 257 HMOs from the scheme. This law relates to properties that have been converted into flats, where two thirds of the flats are owner-occupied, or where the conversion did not comply with the relevant building regulations at the time – and still don’t. The licence fee is £1,401 per property, with the application process already open.

Further information about the scheme and where to apply can be found on the council’s website.

London Borough of Croydon - Selective and Additional Licensing

Following consultation, the council has approved a borough-wide additional licensing scheme and a selective licensing scheme which covers part of the borough.

Areas covered by the selective licensing scheme are:  

•            Addiscombe East  

•            Addiscombe West  

•            Bensham Manor  

•            Broad Green  

•            Fairfield  

•            Norbury and Pollards Hill  

•            Norbury Park  

•            Selhurst  

•            South Croydon  

•            South Norwood  

•            Thornton Heath  

•            Waddon  

•            West Thornton  

•            Woodside 

The licence fee is £800 for a selective licence and £1,250 for an additional licence.

Discounts are available for landlords who are accredited.

Both schemes come into force on 1st September. More information on how to apply  will be available this summer and further information can be found on the council’s website.

London Borough of Enfield - Selective Licensing 

Following consultation, the council has renewed its selective licensing scheme which will come into force on 1st September and end on 31st August 2031.

The council has it into two designations which come into force on the same date. Areas covered by the selective licensing scheme are: 

Designation One:   

•            Bowes  

•            Brimsdown  

•            Bullsmoor   

•            Carterhatch   

•            Edmonton Green   

•            Enfield Lock  

•            Haselbury  

•            Jubilee  

•            Lower Edmonton  

•            Ponders End  

•            Southbury  

•            Upper Edmonton  

•            Whitewebbs   

Designation Two:   

•            New Southgate  

•            Palmers Green  

•            Southgate Town 

The licence fee is £750 per property. Current selective licences will remain in force until their existing expiry date. Further information about the scheme can be found on the council’s website. 

London Borough of Harrow

Following consultation, the council has approved several selective licensing schemes which cover parts of the borough:

• Greenhill selective licensing designation comes into force on 6th July and ends on 5th July 2031
• Marlborough selective licensing designation comes into force on 6th July and ends on 5th July 2031
• Wealdstone North selective licensing designation comes into force on 1st September and ends on 31st August 2031
• Wealdstone South selective licensing designation comes into force on 1st September and ends on 31st August 2031

The licence fee is £786 per property. Further information about the schemes can be found on the council’s website or by emailing [email protected]  

Oxford City Council

Following consultation, the council has approved a borough-wide additional licensing scheme, coming into force on 25th June and ending on 25th June 2031.

The licence fee starts at £610 and goes up to £3,190 depending on the criteria applied to the licence – the higher rate will apply to HMOs that have been operating unlicensed for more than 12 weeks. Further information about the fees and charges can be found on the council’s website or by emailing [email protected]