Do I need a Property Licence? (Landlords and Agents)
Do I need a Property Licence? (Landlords and Agents)
In Redbridge, we operate three different Licensing Schemes.
The correct licence you may need will depend on the location, type, size, and number of people living in a rented property. Below is a brief description of our schemes.
For a more in depth explanation please visit the links below.
- Houses in Multiple Occupation (HMO) Licensing applies to all wards in the whole borough. If you own or operate a property which has two or more unrelated households and they share at least one facility i.e Bathroom, W.C, Kitchen, etc, then it likely to be a HMO. Small HMOs of 3 persons or more will be subject to Additional (HMO) Licensing larger HMOs of 5 or more persons will be subject to Mandatory HMO Licensing.
- Selective Licensing Scheme 3 - applies to all rented properties that aren’t HMOs. This scheme began on the 1 November 2023 and lasts for 5 years. It covers two wards: Ilford Town and Valentines.
- Selective Licensing Scheme 4 This scheme starts on 8 April 2024 and lasts for 5 years. It covers 15 wards.
Check the Selective licensing map for Scheme 3 or Selective licensing map for Scheme 4 to see if your rented property requires a selective licence.
The current processing timeframe for a property licence is 3 months.
If you have a query pre or post application submission, please email Prslicensing@redbridge.gov.uk
What is a household?
A household is either a single person or members of the same family who live together. A family includes people who are:
- married or living together - including people in same-sex relationships
- relatives or half-relatives, for example, grandparents, aunts, uncles, siblings
- step-parents and step-children
- a foster child living with a foster parent (s) is treated as living in the same household
Penalties for not having a Licence
Operating a rented property without a licence is an offence. The Council can issue you with a Financial Penalty of up to £30,000 or if prosecuted in court the fine can be unlimited.
Additionally, tenants in a unlicensed property can reclaim from you up to 12 months’ rent through a Rent Repayment Order (RRO) and your ‘section 21’ eviction powers are also removed by operating without a licence.
Advisory visit
If you are unsure about the conditions inside the property that you may need a licence or if you have a property that does not need a licence but want to know if the property is suitable for renting out privately, the Council offers a voluntary Advisory visit at a cost of £477. The Officer will inspect your property and will provide you with a report to highlight any remedial work you may need to complete to make your property suitable for use as private rented occupation.
To arrange this please contact us using the details below.
Privacy notice
To find out more about the information we collect from you and how we use it, please review the privacy notice.
Contact us
Telephone: 020 8708 4845
Please leave a message and we will call you back.
Email: prslicensing@redbridge.gov.uk
Property Licensing Team
2nd Floor Front
Lynton House
255-259 High Road,
Ilford
IG1 1NY
