Additional HMO licensing in Greenwich
Yes. Greenwich 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 Greenwich?
Yes. Greenwich 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 Greenwich does the scheme cover?
Whole borough, including s.257 HMOs. Made 20 September 2023. Replaced an earlier scheme that ran 1 October 2017 to 30 September 2022, leaving a 15-month gap with no additional licensing. Confirm a specific address against the council's own designation map before applying.
When does Greenwich's scheme end?
The designation runs until 31 December 2028, unless the council revokes it earlier under section 84 of the Housing Act 2004.
Charged for each letting in the property.
| Per unit | £508.50 |
| Each unit | £305.10 |
- Discount
Greenwich — royalgreenwich.gov.uk, read 19 Aug 2026
What the designation says
Greenwich operates a borough-wide additional licensing scheme covering smaller houses in multiple occupation — properties let to three or four people from more than two households. That brings smaller shared homes within licensing below the five-occupant threshold of the national mandatory regime, and it applies across the whole borough rather than in designated areas. Mandatory HMO licensing continues to apply separately wherever a property is let to five or more people forming two or more households. Because Greenwich also runs selective licensing across five wards, with a much larger replacement scheme under consultation, a landlord should establish which scheme catches a given property before applying: a shared house of three or four occupants needs an additional licence anywhere in the borough, while a single-household let needs a selective licence only inside a designated ward.
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 Greenwich before letting.