Additional HMO licensing in Redbridge
Yes. Redbridge 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 Redbridge?
Yes. Redbridge 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 Redbridge does the scheme cover?
Borough-wide. Confirm a specific address against the council's own designation map before applying.
When does Redbridge's scheme end?
The designation runs until 17 September 2028, unless the council revokes it earlier under section 84 of the Housing Act 2004.
Redbridge publishes this much: Charged on the SAME banded table as mandatory HMO licensing (banded by households); no separate additional schedule is published. The council's property licensing fees run on the 1 Apr 2026 to 31 Mar 2027 cycle (confirmed on the selective page read live 24 Aug 2026); consult the mandatory band table on redbridge.gov.uk for the current amounts.
The council’s own licensing page carries the charge that applies today — confirm it there before you budget.
Not established is not the same as free.
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 £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 Redbridge before letting.