Selective licensing in Newham

Common questions

What the designation says

Newham's Selective Licensing Designation No.1 2023 came into force on 1 June 2023 and runs until 31 May 2028 (5-year designation). It was confirmed by the Secretary of State for Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities on 7 December 2022 under section 80 of the Housing Act 2004. Newham was one of the first London boroughs to introduce borough-wide selective licensing . All wards across the London Borough of Newham EXCEPT Royal Victoria and Stratford Olympic Park. Every privately rented property in the designation area that is NOT a Mandatory HMO or Additional HMO must hold a Selective Licence — regardless of size or occupation, including single-family lets, single-person lets, and Nightly Paid Spot booked Temporary Accommodation for homeless households. Holiday lets (under 90 days per year) are not covered but planning restrictions may apply separately . Council data identified poor housing conditions, significant and persistent anti-social behaviour, and high levels of deprivation across the borough's private rented sector, where over half of all housing is privately rented. £750 for up to 5 years (paid in two stages: £400 application fee + £350 on approval, both non-refundable). DISCOUNTS available: certified members of a recognised landlord accreditation organisation can reduce the online application fee to £650, particularly where the property has an EPC rating of A+, A, B or C. Landlord accreditation requires a minimum 5-hour course and a Landlord Accreditation Certificate must be supplied with the application . If you own multiple dwellings in a single building, you may apply for a multi-dwelling Selective Licence. Email propertylicensing@newham.gov.uk to register interest with the addresses to be licensed. Gas Safety Certificate (annual, all gas appliances), Electrical Installation Condition Report / EICR (every 5 years), Energy Performance Certificate (EPC). Photos or scans are acceptable provided the relevant information is clear. Landlords without a licence may be prosecuted (unlimited fine on summary conviction) OR issued a civil financial penalty of up to £40,000 per offence. Other consequences: Rent Repayment Order requiring repayment of up to two years' rent for offences on or after 1 May 2026 (12 months before that date), entry on the database of rogue landlords, Banning Order prohibiting the landlord from operating, or licence revocation/variation. Excluded under section 80(7) Housing Act 2004 — including long leases (21+ years), tenancies granted to family members where occupier is 18+, tenancies where the occupier shares accommodation with the landlord, and student-occupied buildings under paragraph 4(1) of Schedule 14. Properties already licensed under Mandatory or Additional HMO schemes are not separately required to hold a Selective Licence . propertylicensing@newham.gov.uk / Private Sector Housing Standards, London Borough of Newham, First Floor West Wing, Newham Dockside, 1000 Dockside Road, London E16 2QU. The £40,000 ceiling applies to offences committed on or after 1 May 2026; the £30,000 ceiling still applies to offences committed before that date.

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.

Newham's own licensing page →