Additional HMO licensing in City of Westminster
Yes. City of Westminster operates an additional HMO licensing scheme. Letting a covered property without a licence risks a civil penalty of up to £40,000 and a rent repayment order of up to two years' rent.
Common questions
Do I need an additional HMO licence in City of Westminster?
Yes. City of Westminster operates an additional HMO licensing scheme. Letting a covered property without a licence risks a civil penalty of up to £40,000 and a rent repayment order of up to two years' rent.
Which areas of City of Westminster does the scheme cover?
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. Confirm a specific address against the council's own designation map before applying.
When does City of Westminster's scheme end?
The designation runs until 30 August 2031, unless the council revokes it earlier under section 84 of the Housing Act 2004.
What does the licence cost?
£1,540 up to 5 bedrooms. Councils commonly discount for accredited landlords and early applications; confirm the current figure with City of Westminster before budgeting.
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 31 August 2026
What the designation says
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.
What this means for a landlord
A licence must be in place before the property is let, not applied for afterwards. Operating unlicensed in a designated area is a criminal offence: a civil penalty of up to £40,000 per offence and a rent repayment order of up to two years' rent. Both maxima apply to conduct on or after 1 May 2026; before that date they were £30,000 and twelve months. Section 21 was abolished on 1 May 2026 and possession now runs through the amended section 8 grounds. Mandatory HMO licensing applies separately and everywhere, wherever a property is let to five or more people forming two or more households.
Information tool, not legal advice. Confirm the position with City of Westminster before letting.