London · Council licensing
Landlord licensing in City of London
✓ Hand-verified 17 Aug 2026Beyond mandatory HMO licensing, City of London does not currently operate a selective or additional licensing scheme. Here's the current position.
Required for any HMO let to 5 or more people forming 2+ households who share facilities.
One payment.
- £1,050 for a property with up to five lettings, rising to a maximum of £1,650 for properties with 20 or more lettings
City of London, read 19 August 2026
The City of London Corporation does not operate a selective licensing scheme. Selective licensing would require every privately rented home in a designated area to hold a licence regardless of how many people occupy it, and no such designation has been made for any part of the City. The Corporation has stated it has no current plans to introduce one. The City has the smallest residential population of any London authority, with most housing concentrated in the Barbican and Golden Lane estates, and the private rented sector is correspondingly small. Landlords letting an ordinary self-contained flat in the City therefore need no property licence on selective grounds. Mandatory HMO licensing still applies in full wherever a property is let to five or more people forming two or more households who share a kitchen, bathroom or toilet.
The City of London Corporation does not operate an additional licensing scheme. Additional licensing would extend HMO licensing to smaller shared houses — typically those let to three or four people forming two or more households — and no such designation is in force anywhere in the City. The Corporation has stated it has no current plans to introduce one. Only the national mandatory HMO regime applies: a licence is required where a property is let to five or more people forming two or more households who share a kitchen, bathroom or toilet. The Corporation's published HMO fee starts at £1,050 for a property with up to five lettings and rises to a maximum of £1,650 for properties with twenty or more lettings.
Common questions
Does City of London have a selective licensing scheme?
No. City of London does not currently operate a selective licensing scheme. Mandatory HMO licensing still applies wherever a property is let to five or more people forming two or more households.
Does City of London have an additional HMO licensing scheme?
No. City of London does not currently operate an additional HMO licensing scheme. Mandatory HMO licensing still applies wherever a property is let to five or more people forming two or more households.
Do I need an HMO licence in City of London?
A mandatory HMO licence is required anywhere in England and Wales, including City of London, where a property is let to five or more people forming two or more households who share basic amenities. Smaller shared houses may also need a licence where an additional licensing scheme applies.
- Free landlord compliance check — five questions, no account
- Tenancy agreement checker — findings cited to the Act and section
All property licensing in London →
Source: City of London licensing page →
Every landlord in City of London also needs
A valid Gas Safety certificate (annual), an EICR (every 5 years), a valid EPC, a protected deposit, smoke & CO alarms, the Renters' Rights Act Information Sheet, and a current How to Rent guide — plus the new Section 8 possession rules since Section 21 was abolished on 1 May 2026.
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