London · Council licensing
Landlord licensing in Kensington & Chelsea
✓ Hand-verified 21 Aug 2026Kensington & Chelsea 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 | £1,004 |
| Part B | £489 |
| Total | £1,493 |
| Each room | £72 |
Kensington & Chelsea — rbkc.gov.uk, read 19 Aug 2026
Kensington and Chelsea operates no selective licensing designation under s.80. The council states its regimes in its own words: "Kensington and Chelsea currently operates a mandatory HMO licensing scheme and to improve standards even further we have implemented an additional HMO licensing scheme ... from 1 June 2023." That enumeration is mandatory plus additional only; no selective scheme is referenced anywhere on rbkc.gov.uk. Distinguished from Westminster, whose additional scheme commences 31 August 2026, and from Hammersmith and Fulham and Wandsworth. Established 21 Aug 2026.
The Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea operates a borough-wide Additional HMO Licensing Scheme that came into force on 1 June 2023 and runs for five years (designation expires around 31 May 2028). The scheme was approved following a public consultation that ran in 2022, despite 63% of consultation respondents disagreeing with the proposal — the council believed the evidence (38% of respondents reporting disrepair and rubbish-dumping issues, 32% citing general lack of management) justified the scheme. Kensington and Chelsea has a particularly large private rented sector: 44% of all properties in the borough are privately rented, and HMOs make up a significant share of the lower-cost private housing stock. 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 more people forming two or more households who share kitchen, bathroom or toilet facilities (typically shared houses or shared flats). The scheme also INCLUDES section 257 HMOs (buildings converted into self-contained flats where the conversion did not comply with current Building Regulations), which was the most contentious element of the consultation (56% of respondents felt section 257 properties should be excluded). For properties that are flats in purpose-built blocks, the licence type depends on the size of the block: a flat in a purpose-built block containing only two flats falls under mandatory HMO licensing, while a flat in a purpose-built block containing more than two flats falls under additional HMO licensing. The application fee for both mandatory and additional HMO licences is determined on application based on property size, with Kamma estimating around £1,600 for an average-sized property (correct as of July 2025). Where a single applicant submits more than three HMO licence applications with the same landlord and managing agent, a £30 reduction is applied to each application. The discount does NOT apply where a landlord has failed to apply for a licence and the unlicensed HMO has come to the council's attention through other means. 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 - applies to all privately rented properties which are occupied by three or more people living as two or more separate households who share facilities
Paid in two parts — one on application, the balance before the licence is issued.
| Part A | £1,004 |
| Part B | £489 |
| Total | £1,493 |
| Each room | £72 |
- Discounts: £200 for accredited landlords (LLAS, NRLA or equivalent), and £30 each where more than three applications share the same landlord and agent
Kensington & Chelsea — rbkc.gov.uk, read 19 Aug 2026
Scheme runs until: 31 May 2028
Common questions
Does Kensington & Chelsea have a selective licensing scheme?
No. Kensington & Chelsea 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 Kensington & Chelsea have an additional HMO licensing scheme?
Yes. Kensington & Chelsea operates an additional HMO 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.
Do I need an HMO licence in Kensington & Chelsea?
A mandatory HMO licence is required anywhere in England and Wales, including Kensington & Chelsea, 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
Additional HMO licensing in Kensington & Chelsea: areas, dates and fees →
All property licensing in London →
Source: Kensington & Chelsea licensing page →
Every landlord in Kensington & Chelsea 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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