Landlord licensing in Enfield

Required for any HMO let to 5 or more people forming 2+ households who share facilities.

Fee: 1616.00

The London Borough of Enfield operates a Selective Licensing Scheme that came into force on 1 September 2021 and runs until 31 August 2026 (a five-year designation made on 18 May 2021). The current scheme covers 14 wards across the borough — essentially the whole borough except Bush Hill Park, Cockfosters and Palmers Green. A selective licence is required for any privately rented residential property occupied by one or two people, or by a single-family household, located within those 14 wards. Properties that fall within mandatory HMO or additional HMO licensing are excluded from the selective scheme as they are licensed separately. The application fee is £735 per property; the council does not advertise any discounts for accredited landlords. Each property must hold its own licence and licences last up to five years subject to compliance with a range of conditions covering management standards, fire safety, gas and electrical safety, refuse arrangements, and tenant complaint handling. The scheme was justified on the basis of evidence about poor housing conditions, antisocial behaviour and management standards in the private rented sector across the designated wards. Enfield Council launched a public consultation from 6 October 2025 to 28 December 2025 on a proposed new and expanded Selective Licensing Scheme covering 17 wards, intended to come into force when the current scheme expires in August 2026. A Cabinet decision is expected in Spring 2026. Until then, landlords in the 14 currently-designated wards must continue to apply for selective licences under the existing scheme. Operating an unlicensed selective property exposes the landlord to prosecution with an unlimited fine, a civil financial penalty of up to £30,000 per offence without warning, Rent Repayment Orders of up to 12 months rent, and entry on the Mayor of London Rogue Landlord Checker.

Areas: 14 wards (all of borough except Bush Hill Park, Cockfosters, Palmers Green) — replacement scheme proposed for 17 wards from Sep 2026 currently in consultation

Fee: 735.00

Scheme runs until: 31 August 2026

The London Borough of Enfield operates a borough-wide Additional HMO Licensing Scheme that came into force on 1 September 2025 and runs for five years until 31 August 2030. This is a renewal of the original scheme that started on 1 September 2020 and ended on 31 August 2025; Cabinet approved the renewal in March 2025 following a public consultation. The scheme covers all Houses in Multiple Occupation in the borough that fall outside the mandatory HMO licensing regime — that is, properties occupied by three or four people from more than one household who share kitchen, bathroom or toilet facilities under one or more tenancies. Section 257 HMOs (certain converted blocks of flats where the conversion did not comply with Building Regulations) are explicitly EXCLUDED from the Enfield additional scheme. The scheme operates alongside the mandatory HMO licensing scheme (which applies borough-wide to HMOs occupied by 5+ people from 2+ households) and the borough-wide Article 4 Direction in place since 22 October 2012, which removes permitted development rights to convert single-family properties into small HMOs without planning permission. The application fee for an additional HMO licence is £1,450 per property, payable in two parts (Part 1 non-refundable on application, Part 2 collected automatically when the draft licence is issued). From 1 September 2025, landlords may be entitled to discounts of £50, £100 or £150 off Part 2 of the fee depending on their accreditation status with recognised bodies. The mandatory HMO licence application fee is £1,616 for a property with up to five lettable rooms, with the cost increasing for larger properties. Where there is a breach of planning control, the council typically issues a reduced-term licence (usually 2 years) to give the landlord time to either fix the breach or obtain planning consent. Operating an unlicensed HMO exposes the landlord to prosecution with an unlimited fine, a civil financial penalty of up to £30,000 per offence without warning, Rent Repayment Orders of up to 12 months rent, and entry on the Mayor of London Rogue Landlord Checker.

Areas: Borough-wide

Fee: 1450.00

Scheme runs until: 31 August 2030