The question I get from landlords more than almost any other isn't about rents. It's "do I actually need a licence for my flat?"
Fair question. Each council runs its own schemes, with its own wards, fees and start dates, and a lot has changed since 2024. So here's the plain-English version for my patch, straight from the council websites.
Do I need a licence to rent out my property in South London?
In most of Lambeth, yes. In parts of Wandsworth and most of Southwark, yes. And if you let to sharers, almost certainly yes.
What types of landlord licence are there?
There are three types:
- Mandatory HMO licence for larger shared houses. In Wandsworth that's five or more tenants from two or more households sharing a kitchen, bathroom or toilet.
- Additional HMO licence for smaller shared homes the mandatory scheme doesn't catch, such as three or four sharers.
- Selective licence for ordinary lets - a couple, a family, a single person - in the wards the council has designated.
Do I need a selective licence in Lambeth (Clapham, Brixton, Stockwell, Streatham)?
Almost certainly. Lambeth's selective licensing scheme covers any privately rented home let to a single-family household or to no more than two unrelated sharers (Lambeth Council).
Which Lambeth wards does selective licensing cover?
Phase 1 started on 2 September 2024 in four wards: Knights Hill and three Streatham wards. Phase 2 followed on 1 September 2025 with 19 more, including Clapham Common and Abbeville, Clapham Town, Clapham East, Clapham Park, all four Brixton wards, Stockwell East, Stockwell West and Larkhall, Herne Hill and Loughborough Junction, Kennington and Oval. Together they cover every Lambeth ward except Vauxhall and Waterloo & South Bank.
So if you let a flat off Abbeville Road, on Brixton Hill or near Stockwell station, assume you need a Lambeth selective licence.
How much is a selective licence in Lambeth?
Lambeth's selective licence fee is £1,025 from 1 April 2026: £717.50 when you apply and £307.50 once approved. There's £50 off for an EPC of C or better, and £75 off if you're accredited (NRLA, LLAS or UKALA, for example).
Do I need an HMO licence for a shared house in Lambeth?
Yes. Lambeth has had borough-wide additional HMO licensing since 9 December 2021, for privately rented homes with three or more people forming two or more households. The fee is £550 per letting room, so a four-bedroom house share in Lambeth costs £2,200 to licence.
One date to watch: Lambeth's designation notice says the additional HMO scheme ceases on 8 December 2026. I couldn't find a replacement on the council's website at the time of writing, so check with Lambeth before assuming anything changes.
Do I need a selective licence in Wandsworth (Battersea, Balham, Tooting)?
Only in seven Wandsworth wards, for now. Wandsworth's first selective licensing designation covers Furzedown, Tooting Bec, Tooting Broadway and South Balham, and runs from 1 July 2025 to 30 June 2030. The second added East Putney, West Putney and Northcote from 1 April 2026, which takes in the Northcote Road end of Battersea (Wandsworth Council). The council confirmed to me in October 2026 that no other wards have been announced.
Outside those seven wards, you don't need a selective licence in Wandsworth.
Do I need an HMO licence for sharers in Wandsworth?
Yes, anywhere in the borough. Since 1 July 2025, Wandsworth HMOs let to up to four people sharing a bathroom or kitchen need an additional licence.
How much is a landlord licence in Wandsworth?
- Selective licence: £885
- Additional HMO licence: £1,507
Those are the totals on Wandsworth's property licence fees page, paid in two parts: one on application, one when the licence is granted.
The 30% early bird discount for Northcote and the Putney wards ended on 1 October 2026, so it's the full fee now. Wandsworth says a property licence usually lasts five years.
Do I need a licence in Southwark (Peckham, East Dulwich, Camberwell)?
Very likely. Southwark's selective licensing covers 19 wards, including Peckham, Peckham Rye, Rye Lane, Nunhead & Queens Road, Goose Green, Dulwich Hill, Champion Hill and Camberwell Green (Southwark Council). That's most of the SE15 and SE22 streets I work.
How much is a landlord licence in Southwark?
Southwark's licensing team confirmed to me in October 2026 that the selective licence fee is £945. The additional licence, for HMOs let to up to four people sharing facilities, is £1,433. Southwark's designation notices say the additional licensing scheme, and the selective licensing designations covering Champion Hill, Faraday, Goose Green, Newington and St Giles, end on 1 March 2027. The other 14 selective wards, including Peckham, Peckham Rye, Rye Lane, Nunhead & Queens Road, Dulwich Hill and Camberwell Green, run until 31 October 2028. Southwark's licensing team told me in October 2026 that a replacement will start from the day the current scheme expires.
What happens if I don't licence my rental property?
This is where it gets expensive. According to Lambeth Council, letting without a required licence is a criminal offence and can lead to:
- prosecution and an unlimited fine
- a financial penalty of up to £40,000 instead
- a Rent Repayment Order of up to 24 months' rent
- a banning order
- a Section 8 possession claim that may not succeed
Put a £40,000 penalty next to Lambeth's £1,025 licence fee and it's not a difficult decision.
What documents does the council ask for in a licence application?
Lambeth's list is a good guide: Land Registry title dated within 28 days, gas safety certificate, EICR (with any C1 and C2 faults fixed and evidenced), EPC, an annotated floor plan and the tenancy agreement naming everyone living there. If your paperwork is ready for the new landlord register, you're most of the way there.
My take
Licensing is now the norm across my patch. Brixton, Clapham, Stockwell, Streatham, Tooting, Balham, Peckham and East Dulwich are all covered in some form. Good landlords have nothing to fear from it. It's a cost of doing business.
What worries me is the landlord with one flat who let it years ago and has no idea any of this happened. That's who ends up facing a Rent Repayment Order.
So there you have it. Check your ward, check your type of let, and apply before someone else points it out.
FAQ: landlord licensing in South London
How much does a landlord licence cost in Lambeth, Wandsworth and Southwark?
A selective licence costs £1,025 in Lambeth, £885 in Wandsworth and £945 in Southwark. For an additional HMO licence, Lambeth charges £550 per letting room, Wandsworth £1,507 and Southwark £1,433.
Is a landlord licence the same as the landlord register?
No. Licensing is run by your local council. The landlord register is a separate national requirement.
Who holds the landlord licence?
Usually the person who collects the rent and manages the property, says Wandsworth Council. That can be the owner or the manager.
How long does a landlord licence last?
Wandsworth Council says a property licence usually lasts five years.
How do I find out which ward my rental is in?
Use the council's postcode ward checker or licensing map. Lambeth, Wandsworth and Southwark all have one.
As always, are you a landlord in Clapham, Brixton or Battersea who isn't sure whether your let needs a licence? I'd genuinely like to hear how it's playing out on your street. Drop me a line at jeroen@claphampropertyblog.com or call 07837 093554.
About me
I'm Jeroen Hoppe, an independent property specialist powered by eXp UK, with more than 20 years in property. I started at Ludlow Thompson (now Foxtons in South London), became a branch manager in under two years and won Manager of the Year two years after that. In 2011 I set up my own agency, XanderMatthew, in Clapham, and sold it to a local competitor in 2016. Since then I've worked in property development and investment as well as agency, and I've managed more than 40 units across long-term and short-term lets. I've been with eXp UK since mid-2023.
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07837 093 554
Sources: Lambeth Council, Selective Licensing Scheme and HMO licence fees pages (fees from 1 April 2026); Lambeth Council, Designation of an Area for Additional Licensing public notice (2021); Wandsworth Council, Check if you need a property licence and Property licence fees and discounts (updated 23 September 2026); Southwark Council, Selective licensing, Additional licensing and Licence fees pages (updated 10 March 2026) and its selective and additional licensing designation notices (2021 and 2023). All accessed 23 October 2026 and rechecked 3 November 2026. Email replies from Wandsworth Council and Southwark Council's licensing team, October 2026.
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