Additional HMO licensing in Redbridge

What the designation says

Redbridge operates a borough-wide additional licensing scheme. The requirement to licence under it came into force on Monday 18 September 2023 and ceases to have effect on 17 September 2028, or earlier if the council revokes the designation under section 60 of the Housing Act 2004. It extends licensing to all houses in multiple occupation outside the mandatory regime: any property rented to three or four occupiers forming two or more households who share, or lack, a toilet, personal washing facilities or cooking facilities needs an HMO licence. Mandatory HMO licensing continues to apply separately wherever a property is let to five or more people forming two or more households. Because Redbridge also runs selective licensing across 15 wards, a landlord should establish which scheme catches a given property: a shared house of three or four occupiers 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 £30,000 per offence, a rent repayment order of up to twelve months' rent, and a section 21 notice that cannot be served while the property is unlicensed. Mandatory HMO licensing applies separately and everywhere, wherever a property is let to five or more people forming two or more households.

Redbridge's own licensing page →