Landlord licensing in Waltham Forest

Required for any HMO let to 5 or more people forming 2+ households who share facilities.

Fee: £1,100

SCHEME OVERVIEW: London Borough of Waltham Forest operates a near-borough-wide Selective Licensing scheme. The current scheme is the renewal — the London Borough of Waltham Forest Designation for an Area for Selective Licensing 2025, made on 9 July 2024, came into force on 1 May 2025 and runs until 30 April 2030 (5-year designation), or earlier if the council revokes under section 84 of the Housing Act 2004 (source: official Designation Notice published in publicnoticeportal.uk and walthamforest.gov.uk/housing/private-sector-housing/private-rented-property-licensing-prpl/selective-licensing-scheme). LEGAL BASIS: Designation under section 80 of the Housing Act 2004. Approved at Cabinet meeting on 9 July 2024. Approved by Secretary of State following the renewal approval process. COVERAGE: 20 of the 22 wards in the London Borough of Waltham Forest. Two wards EXCLUDED: HATCH LANE & HIGHAMS PARK NORTH, and ENDLEBURY. Use the postcode search facility on walthamforest.gov.uk to confirm whether a property is in a designated ward. WHO NEEDS A LICENCE: Within the designated 20 wards, every house let or occupied under a tenancy or licence — UNLESS: (a) the house is a Mandatory HMO under section 55(2)(a) Housing Act 2004 (b) the house is an HMO licensed under the Waltham Forest Additional HMO Licensing Scheme (c) the tenancy is granted by a Registered Social Landlord (d) the house is subject to an Interim or Final Management Order under Part 4 (e) the house is subject to a temporary exemption notice under section 86 (f) the tenancy or property is exempt under the Selective Licensing of Houses (Specified Exemptions) (England) Order 2006 This applies to properties (house or flat) let to a single person, couple, single household, or two unrelated sharers. VOLUME: Waltham Forest's previous selective scheme had 22,410 licensed properties (Kamma data March 2025), the highest UK volume — generating £15.7m in revenue under the previous scheme. FEES: £895 per property (current as of July 2025). Two-part structure (allows cost to be spread over several months). £125 discount available for multiple properties. Energy efficiency discounts also available. Verify at walthamforest.gov.uk. LICENCE CONDITIONS: Comprehensive — fire safety, gas safety, electrical safety, structural condition, waste management, anti-social behaviour management, written tenancy agreements, fit and proper person test for licence holder. Waltham Forest publishes the conditions for licensed properties — see the Selective Licensing PDF on walthamforest.gov.uk. ENFORCEMENT: Operating a licensable property without a licence (or allowing more occupants than authorised) is a criminal offence. Civil financial penalty up to £30,000 per offence. Unlimited fine on conviction. RROs up to 12 months (24 months under Renters' Rights Act 2025). Section 21 invalid where unlicensed. Private Sector Housing Enforcement Policy applies to breach of conditions. NOTIFICATION: Licence holders must notify the Private Sector Housing Team of any change in circumstance within 10 working days. CONTACT: Private Sector Housing and Licensing Team, London Borough of Waltham Forest, Town Hall, Fellowship Square, Forest Road, London E17 4JF. Tel 020 8496 4949. Email propertylicensing@walthamforest.gov.uk.

Areas: Borough-wide selective licensing for all privately rented properties

Fee: £650

Scheme runs until: 31 March 2028

SCHEME OVERVIEW: London Borough of Waltham Forest operates a BOROUGH-WIDE Additional HMO Licensing Scheme. The current scheme is the renewal designation that came into force on 1 April 2025 and runs for 5 years until 31 March 2030 (source: londonpropertylicensing.co.uk/waltham-forest and walthamforest.gov.uk official property licensing pages). The original scheme started 1 April 2020 and ended 31 March 2025; the renewal was approved at Cabinet on 9 July 2024. LEGAL BASIS: Designation under section 56 of the Housing Act 2004. WHO NEEDS A LICENCE: Borough-wide. All HMOs occupied by 3 or more persons forming 2+ households sharing one or more basic amenities (WC, personal washing facilities, cooking facilities) that are not already licensable under Mandatory HMO Licensing. EXCLUSIONS: Section 257 HMOs (converted blocks of flats) are EXCLUDED from the additional licensing scheme. Individual rented flats within such a building would need a SELECTIVE licence if occupied by a single household or two unrelated sharers; if a flat is itself multiply occupied it would need an additional or mandatory HMO licence depending on the number of occupants. FEES: £1,200 per property for the additional HMO licence (current as of July 2025 — note one source quotes £895 which appears to relate to selective; the £1,200 figure aligns with London Property Licensing's Waltham Forest guide). Higher fee bands apply to larger properties. Various energy efficiency, multi-property, and charity fee discounts available. Verify current fees on walthamforest.gov.uk. LICENCE CONDITIONS: Comprehensive covering kitchen/bathroom facilities, room sizes, fire safety, gas safety (annual certificate), electrical safety (5-year EICR), structural condition, waste management, anti-social behaviour management, fit and proper person test for licence holder, written tenancy agreements. Waltham Forest publishes local HMO guidance covering specific issues — view at walthamforest.gov.uk. TRACK RECORD: Waltham Forest is one of the highest-volume property licensing councils in the UK. Per Kamma data (March 2025), Waltham Forest leads UK selective licensing volumes with 22,410 selectively licensed properties generating £15.7m in revenue. ENFORCEMENT: Civil financial penalty up to £30,000 per offence. Unlimited fine on conviction. RROs up to 12 months (24 months under Renters' Rights Act 2025). Section 21 invalid where unlicensed. CONTACT: Private Sector Housing and Licensing Team, London Borough of Waltham Forest, Town Hall, Fellowship Square, Forest Road, London E17 4JF. Tel 020 8496 4949. Email propertylicensing@walthamforest.gov.uk.

Areas: Borough-wide additional licensing for HMOs with 3 or 4 occupants

Fee: £650