Additional HMO licensing
In force| Area covered | Whole council area |
|---|---|
| Runs | 25 Sept 2026 to 24 Sept 2031 |
| Fee | £1,250 (Part A £750 + Part B £500) per property, 5-yr (1-yr licence £850) |
| Discounts | EPC B+ £50 off B; accredited £100 off B |
Checked 28 Sept 2026.
Selective licensing
In force| Area covered | Listed wards only (14 wards) |
|---|---|
| Runs | 25 Sept 2026 to 24 Sept 2031 |
| Fee | £800 (Part A £480 + Part B £320) per property, 5-yr (1-yr licence £544) |
| Discounts | EPC B+ £50 off B; accredited £100 off B; multi-dwelling £100 off A (2nd+ flat) |
Wards in the scheme (14)
Addiscombe East · Addiscombe West · Bensham Manor · Broad Green · Fairfield · Norbury & Pollards Hill · Norbury Park · Selhurst · South Croydon · South Norwood · Thornton Heath · Waddon · West Thornton · Woodside
Ward or street lists can split a road. Use the council's own address checker or designation map before relying on this list.
Checked 28 Sept 2026.
Upcoming: consultations and key dates in Croydon
| Date | What | Scheme | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| 24 Sept 2031 estimated (start + 5 years) in 1822 days | scheme end | Additional HMO licensing | council |
| 24 Sept 2031 estimated (start + 5 years) in 1822 days | scheme end | Selective licensing | council |
Want a reminder before a deadline? Use the form at the bottom of this page and pick "Email me before my deadlines".
Mandatory HMO licensing in Croydon
Whatever the local schemes, a licence is required for any house in multiple occupation let to 5 or more people forming 2 or more households who share a kitchen, bathroom or toilet. This rule is national and has applied since 1 October 2018. Letting without a required licence is a criminal offence under section 72 of the Housing Act 2004. Read do I need an HMO licence? and how to apply.
Croydon HMO licence register
We did not find an online public register for Croydon. Every council must keep one (Housing Act 2004, s.232) and make it available for inspection; ask the council's private sector housing team.
Croydon Article 4 and HMO planning rules
Croydon does not publish Article 4 data to the national planning data platform, so we cannot tell you from official data whether an HMO Article 4 direction applies. Absence of data is not absence of a direction: check the council's planning pages.
Licensing and planning are separate. A licence does not give planning permission, and planning permission does not replace a licence. See Article 4 and HMOs.
Tribunal record: rent repayment orders and civil penalties in Croydon
Figures below count First-tier Tribunal (Property Chamber) decisions published on GOV.UK for properties located in Croydon. They show how tenants and the council use enforcement here. Most civil penalties are paid without appeal, so they never reach the tribunal.
| Rent repayment order decisions | 13 (2 in the last 3 years) |
|---|---|
| Orders made | 10 (76.9% of decisions with a known outcome) |
| Median award | £3,093 (last 3 years: £906) |
| Total awarded | £40,213 |
| Civil penalty appeals | 5 |
| Penalty upheld (in full or reduced) | 80% · confirmed in full 20% |
| Median penalty: council's notice / after tribunal | £4,000 / £2,000 |
| Other Housing Act appeals (licence terms, notices, orders) | 3 |
Recent rent repayment order decisions in Croydon
| Decided | Area | Property | Offence alleged | Outcome | Amount | Decision |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 17 Aug 2026 | CR2 | HMO | not extracted | Order made | £906 | GOV.UK |
| 27 Nov 2025 | CR8 | House / not stated | unlicensed HMO; unlicensed (selective licensing); unlawful eviction / harassment; failure to comply with improvement notice; breach of banning order | Refused | — | GOV.UK |
| 7 Apr 2022 | SE19 | Flat | unlicensed (selective licensing) | Refused | — | GOV.UK |
| 12 Jul 2021 | SW16 | HMO | unlicensed (selective licensing) | Order made | £1,832 | GOV.UK |
| 8 Jun 2021 | CR7 | HMO | unlicensed HMO; unlicensed (selective licensing); failure to comply with improvement notice; breach of banning order | Order made | £7,200 | GOV.UK |
Recent civil penalty appeals in Croydon
| Decided | Area | Offence | Outcome | Council's penalty | After tribunal | Decision |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 13 Jun 2022 | CR8 | not extracted | Penalty cancelled | £6,000 | £0 | GOV.UK |
| 8 Feb 2022 | SE19 | unlicensed (selective licensing) | See decision | £2,000 | — | GOV.UK |
| 1 Nov 2021 | CR0 | unlicensed (selective licensing) | See decision | £2,000 | — | GOV.UK |
| 16 Jul 2021 | CR0 | unlicensed (selective licensing) | Penalty varied | — | £12,000 | GOV.UK |
| 18 Oct 2018 | CR0 | unlicensed (selective licensing) | Penalty varied | £12,000 | — | GOV.UK |
Amounts and outcomes are extracted automatically from the decision text and can be wrong; open the decision on GOV.UK for the full reasons. Party names are not shown. Information, not legal advice.
If you have let without a licence you needed, read unlicensed property: what to do, rent repayment orders and civil penalties.
Landlord database deadline for Croydon
Croydon is in the London region of the new Private Rented Sector Database. Registration opens 15 Jul 2027 and the deadline to register is 14 Oct 2027. The published fee is £65 per property per year. Database registration is separate from council licensing: you may need both. See register your rental property.
Get help with a Croydon licence application
We can prepare a licence application for you for a fixed fee; the council's own fee is separate. See pricing for what is included and how we make money. You can also run a full address check on the postcode checker.
Croydon licensing: common questions
Is there selective licensing in Croydon?
Yes. in force until 24 Sept 2031 (part of the area). Check the council's map or address checker to confirm your street.
How much is an HMO licence in Croydon?
Additional HMO licensing: £1,250 (per property, 5-yr (1-yr licence £850)); Selective licensing: £800 (per property, 5-yr (1-yr licence £544)). Fees for mandatory HMO licences are set by the council and published on its fees page.
Does Croydon have an Article 4 direction for HMOs?
Croydon does not publish Article 4 data to the national planning data platform, so we cannot tell you from official data whether an HMO Article 4 direction applies. Absence of data is not absence of a direction: check the council's planning pages.
How often do landlords in Croydon face rent repayment orders or fines?
The First-tier Tribunal has published 13 rent repayment order decisions for properties in Croydon (10 with an order made), median award £3,093, and 5 civil penalty appeals. Most penalties are never appealed, so the true number of fines is higher.
Related: selective licensing in England · additional HMO licensing · HMO licence cost · HMO rules · HMO hub
Sources
- London Borough of Croydon: licensing page
- GOV.UK: House in multiple occupation licence
- Housing Act 2004, Part 2 (HMO licensing)
- Housing Act 2004, Part 3 (selective licensing)
- planning.data.gov.uk: Article 4 direction areas (MHCLG)
- GOV.UK: Residential property tribunal decisions
- GOV.UK: Civil penalties under the Renters' Rights Act 2025 and other housing legislation
- GOV.UK Housing Hub: Get ready to register
Last checked 28 Sep 2026. Information, not legal advice. Licensing schemes change often; always confirm with the council before you act.