Landlords in the London Borough of Havering have until 18 March to secure licences under two new schemes or face enforcement action from the council.
The council is launching both an additional HMO licensing scheme and a selective licensing scheme for privately rented properties. Additional HMO licensing will cover the entire borough, while selective licensing will apply to seven of Havering’s 20 wards.
What the schemes cover
Under the additional HMO licensing scheme, landlords must obtain a licence for any property rented to three or four unrelated persons who share amenities such as cooking or washing facilities. This extends the mandatory HMO licensing regime, which already applies to larger shared properties.
The selective licensing scheme requires landlords operating in the affected wards to hold a licence for each property before letting to single families or two sharers. The requirement applies regardless of property type or condition.
Havering’s move follows a wider trend of councils expanding licensing powers. Earlier this month, Sefton Council extended HMO planning controls borough-wide, and several other London boroughs have introduced or expanded selective licensing in recent years.
Enforcement risk for non-compliance
Landlords who fail to apply before the 18 March start date risk enforcement action. Councils can issue civil penalties of up to £30,000 per offence for operating without a licence, and repeated failures can result in prosecution and rent repayment orders.
This is not Havering’s first action against landlords in recent weeks. The council recently forced HMO landlords to reverse conversions after planning breaches were discovered in residential streets.
A Havering Council spokesperson said: “These schemes help us raise standards in the private rented sector, crack down on rogue landlords, and ensure tenants are treated fairly. We’re working closely with landlords to help support them to be compliant and make the process as smooth as possible.”
Practical steps for landlords
Landlords with properties in Havering should check whether their rental falls within one of the seven selective licensing wards. Those operating HMOs of any size should prepare applications for the additional licensing scheme.
Licence fees vary depending on property type and size, and early applications may attract discounts in some council schemes. The Havering Council licensing portal provides full details on fees, application requirements and ward boundaries.
Landlords should also review their properties against licensing conditions, which typically include gas safety certificates, electrical safety reports, energy performance certificates and smoke alarms.
Opinion
Havering’s dual licensing launch adds to the growing patchwork of local schemes across London and the wider UK. For landlords, the compliance burden continues to rise – and the one-month window leaves little room for delay. Those operating across multiple boroughs now face a maze of different requirements, deadlines and fees. The question is whether this fragmented approach genuinely improves standards or simply drives smaller landlords out of the market.
