London · Council licensing
Landlord licensing in City of Westminster
City of Westminster operates discretionary property licensing. Letting an unlicensed property where a scheme applies risks a civil penalty of up to £30,000 and a rent repayment order — check whether your property is covered below.
Required for any HMO let to 5 or more people forming 2+ households who share facilities.
Paid in two parts — one on application, the balance before the licence is issued.
| Part A | £855 |
| Part B | £685 |
| Total | £1,540 |
| Each letting | £68 |
- Discounts: 10 per cent for LLAS or NRLA accreditation, 10 per cent off Part B for EPC C, 20 per cent off Part B for EPC B or above
City of Westminster — westminster.gov.uk, read 19 Aug 2026
Westminster operates a selective licensing scheme covering 15 of the city's 18 wards, which went live on 24 November 2025. It applies to privately rented homes let to a single household, including those occupied by one or two people, and excludes houses in multiple occupation already covered by the mandatory or additional HMO schemes — a property licensed under one of those does not need a selective licence as well. Because three of the eighteen wards are outside the designation, a landlord should check a specific address against the council's published boundary rather than assume the whole city is covered. Letting an unlicensed property inside a designated ward is a criminal offence carrying a civil penalty of up to £30,000 or prosecution, and exposes the landlord to a rent repayment order.
Areas: 15 wards: Abbey Road, Bayswater, Church Street, Harrow Road, Hyde Park, Knightsbridge and Belgravia, Lancaster Gate, Little Venice, Maida Vale, Marylebone, Pimlico North, Queen's Park, Regent's Park, West End, Westbourne
Paid in two parts — one on application, the balance before the licence is issued.
| Part A | £543 |
| Part B | £452 |
| Total | £995 |
- Discounts: 10 per cent (£99
- Discounts document, research live-read 24 Aug 2026
City of Westminster, read 25 August 2026
Scheme runs until: 23 November 2030
Westminster operates a city-wide additional licensing scheme for houses in multiple occupation. The council has renewed it: the new designation was formally made on 21 April 2026, comes into effect on 31 August 2026 and runs until 30 August 2031, replacing the outgoing scheme without a gap. It applies across the whole of the City of Westminster and requires shared houses and flats to be licensed where three or more people from two or more households share basic amenities such as a kitchen or bathroom, which brings smaller shares within licensing below the five-occupant threshold of the national mandatory regime. Mandatory HMO licensing continues to apply separately at five or more occupants. Because Westminster also runs selective licensing across 15 of its 18 wards, a landlord should establish which scheme catches a given property: a property already licensed under a mandatory or additional HMO licence does not also need a selective licence.
Areas: Borough-wide, 18 wards. The current designation ceases 30 August 2026 and a renewed borough-wide scheme runs 31 August 2026 to 30 August 2031
Paid in two parts — one on application, the balance before the licence is issued.
| Part A | £855 |
| Part B | £685 |
| Total | £1,540 |
| Each letting | £68 |
- Discounts: 10 per cent accredited; EPC C 10 per cent off Part B, EPC B+ 20 per cent
City of Westminster, read 25 August 2026
Scheme runs until: 30 August 2031
Common questions
Does City of Westminster have a selective licensing scheme?
Yes. City of Westminster operates a selective licensing scheme. Letting a property covered by it without a licence risks a civil penalty of up to £30,000, a rent repayment order of up to twelve months' rent, and the loss of the right to serve a section 21 notice.
Does City of Westminster have an additional HMO licensing scheme?
Yes, from 31 August 2026. City of Westminster has designated an additional HMO licensing scheme that comes into force on 31 August 2026. A licence is not required before that date, but it will be from it.
Do I need an HMO licence in City of Westminster?
A mandatory HMO licence is required anywhere in England and Wales, including City of Westminster, 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
Selective licensing in City of Westminster: areas, dates and fees →
Additional HMO licensing in City of Westminster: areas, dates and fees →
All property licensing in London →
Source: City of Westminster licensing page →
Every landlord in City of Westminster 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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