Your licensing update for September

Three licensing consultations are underway this month, with two closing in just a few days. Find out more and have your say by clicking the links below – with all the latest news on new schemes in your area.

Active consultations: 

The London Borough of Hackney - selective and additional licensing consultation 

The council is proposing a new property licensing scheme for landlords across Hackney

The consultation questionnaire is available here. This will close on 21 September.

The council is proposing: 

• A borough wide additional HMO licensing scheme, covering Houses of Multiple Occupation (HMOs), with three or four people from two or more households 

• A selective licensing scheme for privately rented properties occupied by one or two people, or a single-family household, in 17 out of 21 wards 

Great Yarmouth Council- selective licensing consultation 

Great Yarmouth Borough Council has launched a wide-ranging public consultation as it considers proposals for a new scheme to license privately rented properties in the town. 

The council's cabinet recently voted to pursue plans for a selective licensing scheme

The consultation runs until 1st September [SW1] 

Have your say via the online survey

Woking Borough Council - additional licensing consultation  

Woking Borough Council has launched a consultation for borough-wide additional licensing

If approved, the scheme will  start in January 2026.

The proposed licence fee will be similar to currently charges for a mandatory licence, which starts at £880 with discounts for accreditation.  

The consultation closes on Sunday . The consultation questionnaire and further information about the proposals can be found on the council’s website here

New schemes coming into force:

London Borough of Enfield- additional licensing  

The council has confirmed a new additional licensing scheme which will cover the entire borough. The new scheme will start on 1st September and run until  1st September 2030.

The licence fee is set at £1,450, with discounts for accreditation and EPC rating of the property.  

Further information about the scheme is available via their email address: [email protected] or the council’s website 

Westminster City Council - selective licensing

Westminster City Council has announced the implementation of a newselective licensing scheme for privately rented homes.

The new scheme, set to cover 15 of the city’s 18 wards, will apply to all privately rented properties, excluding Houses in Multiple Occupation (HMOs) that are already covered under existing mandatory and additional licensing schemes. 

The scheme will be rolled out over two ‘designations’.  

• Designation 1 consists of eight wards experiencing high levels of poor housing conditions - Abbey Road, Church Street, Harrow Road, Knightsbridge and Belgravia, Little Venice, Maida Vale, Queen’s Park and Westbourne. 

• Designation 2 consists of seven wards experiencing both high levels of poor housing conditions and significant and persistent problems caused by anti-social behaviour - Bayswater, Hyde Park, Lancaster Gate, Marylebone, Pimlico North, Regent’s Park and West End.
• For more information contact [email protected] 

The scheme will come into force 24th November.

The London Borough of Camden- additional licensing 

The council has confirmed a new additional licensing scheme which will cover the entire borough. The new scheme will come into force on 8  December and end on 8 December 2030.  

The licence fee starts at £1383, with discounts available for accreditation.

More information about the scheme can be found on the council’s website and via their email address: [email protected] 

Wirral Council 

The council has confirmed a new selective licensing scheme will come into force on 1st October. The designation will cover the following areas: 

• Birkenhead Central 

• Lower Tranmere  

• Tranmere North  

• Hamilton Square B 

• Tranmere Lairds  

• Egremont South

The licence fee is set at £605, with discounts for accreditation, an EPC rating of C and multiple property discount.  

More information about the scheme can be found on the council’s website and via their email address: [email protected]

Thurrock Council - additional licensing

The council has confirmed a new additional licensing scheme which will cover the entire borough. The new scheme will come into force 7th September and end 6th August 2030.

The licence fee is set at £1,000.  

For further information about the scheme and how to apply can be found on the council’s website

The London Borough of Lambeth - selective licensing

The council’s second phase of selective licensing will start on 1 September. It will cover the following wards:

• Brixton Acre Lane 

• Brixton North  

• Brixton Rush Common 

• Brixton Windrush  

• Clapham Common and Abbeville  

• Clapham East  

• Clapham Park  

• Clapham Park  

• Clapham Town  

• Gipsy Hill  

• Herne Hill and Loughborough Junction  

• Kennington  

• Myatt’s Field  

• Oval  

• St. Martin’s  

• Stockwell East  

• Stockwell West and Larkhall  

• Streatham Hill West and Thornton 

• Streatham Wells  

• West Dulwich

The licence fee is set at £923, with discounts available for accreditation and EPC rating for the property.

Further information about the second phase of selective licensing in Lambeth can be found on the council’s website and via their email address: [email protected]

Mansfield District Council

The council’s selective licensing scheme which will cover parts of the borough will come into force on 13 September and end 12  September 2030.

The scheme will apply to:  

• Streets within Central ward 

• Streets within West Bank and Wainwright wards  

• Market Warsop ward 

• Eakring and Rock wards 

• Streets within Bancroft ward

The licence fee is set at £800. Discounts are available for early bird applications, as well as for being a member of a recognised accreditation scheme if the licence is applied for before 12 September.  
 

Landlords who need to contact the council for further information can email: [email protected] or the council’s website

Southampton City Council 

The council has confirmed an additional licensing scheme which will cover part of the city will come into force on 1st October and end 30th September 2030.  

The scheme will apply to: 

• Bevois 

• Bargate 

• Banister & Polygon  

• Portswood  

• Swaythling 

• Shirley  

• Bassett  

• Freemantle & Millbrook  

The licence fee starts at £338, with a 50% discount available for buildings owned and managed by private providers of large student accommodation who are members of and comply with Accreditation Network UK (ANUK) National Code for large student developments or any approved code or scheme of compliance.

Further information about the scheme is available on the council’s website or via telephone on 023 8083 3006