Additional HMO licensing · Additional licensing 2022
In force | Area covered | Whole council area |
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| Designation made | 28 Oct 2021 |
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| Runs | 1 Mar 2022 to 1 Mar 2027 |
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| Fee | £1,433 (Part A £1,018 + Part B £416) per HMO, from 1 Apr 2026 (was £1,365.10); s257 licences free |
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| Discounts | Gold Standard Charter 50% off Part B (finders-fee members no Part B); registered charities 50% off A and B |
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| Late / penalty fee | invoice +£57.80; paper +£171.20 |
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Council licensing page Designation notice
Details read from the council website via a summary tool because the page blocks automated reading. Please confirm on the council page.
Note from our check: UNRESOLVED: no renewal/replacement consultation found (scheme ends 1 Mar 2027; engagement site JS-only); s257 wording conflicts between page (covered, £0) and designation (converted 3+ storey blocks excluded)
Checked 28 Sept 2026.
Selective licensing · Designations 1 & 2
In force | Area covered | Listed wards only (5 wards) |
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| Designation made | 28 Oct 2021 |
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| Runs | 1 Mar 2022 to 1 Mar 2027 |
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| Fee | £945 (Part A £662 + Part B £284) per property (no change after 1 Apr 2026) |
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| Discounts | Gold Standard Charter 50% off Part B; charities 50% |
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Wards in the scheme (5)
Newington · Champion Hill · St Giles · Faraday · Goose Green
Ward or street lists can split a road. Use the council's own address checker or designation map before relying on this list.
Council licensing page Designation notice Council address checker
Details read from the council website via a summary tool because the page blocks automated reading. Please confirm on the council page.
Note from our check: renewal status unresolved (ends 1 Mar 2027)
Checked 28 Sept 2026.
Selective licensing · Designations 3 & 4
In force | Area covered | Listed wards only (14 wards) |
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| Designation made | 6 Dec 2022 |
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| Runs | 1 Nov 2023 to 31 Oct 2028 |
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| Fee | £945 (Part A £662 + Part B £284) per property |
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| Discounts | Gold Standard Charter 50% off Part B; charities 50% |
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Wards in the scheme (14)
North Walworth · Nunhead & Queens Road · Old Kent Road · Peckham · Camberwell Green · Chaucer · Dulwich Hill · Dulwich Wood · London Bridge & West Bermondsey · Peckham Rye · Rotherhithe · Rye Lane · South Bermondsey · Surrey Docks
Ward or street lists can split a road. Use the council's own address checker or designation map before relying on this list.
Council licensing page Designation notice
Details read from the council website via a summary tool because the page blocks automated reading. Please confirm on the council page.
Checked 28 Sept 2026.
Mandatory HMO licensing in Southwark
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.
Southwark HMO licence register
We did not find an online public register for Southwark. Every council must keep one (Housing Act 2004, s.232) and make it available for inspection; ask the council's private sector housing team.
Southwark Article 4 and HMO planning rules
Official planning data lists 2 HMO Article 4 areas for Southwark. Inside these areas, turning a family house (use class C3) into a small HMO (C4) needs planning permission.
| HMO Article 4 area | In effect from | Document |
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| Houses in multiple occupation: Bywater Place, SE16 | — | view |
| Houses in multiple occupation: Henshaw Street, SE17 | — | view |
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 Southwark
Figures below count First-tier Tribunal (Property Chamber) decisions published on GOV.UK for properties located in Southwark. 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 | 41 (27 in the last 3 years) |
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| Orders made | 28 (80% of decisions with a known outcome) |
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| Median award | £12,116 (last 3 years: £8,278) |
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| Total awarded | £374,535 |
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| Civil penalty appeals | 1 |
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| Penalty upheld (in full or reduced) | 0% · confirmed in full 0% |
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| Median penalty: council's notice / after tribunal | £5,000 / — |
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| Other Housing Act appeals (licence terms, notices, orders) | 22 |
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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 Southwark
Southwark 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 Southwark 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.
Southwark licensing: common questions
Is there selective licensing in Southwark?
Yes. Designations 1 & 2: in force until 1 Mar 2027 (part of the area); Designations 3 & 4: in force until 31 Oct 2028 (part of the area). Check the council's map or address checker to confirm your street.
How much is an HMO licence in Southwark?
Additional HMO licensing: £1,433 (per HMO, from 1 Apr 2026 (was £1,365.10); s257 licences free); Selective licensing: £945 (per property (no change after 1 Apr 2026)); Selective licensing: £945 (per property). Fees for mandatory HMO licences are set by the council and published on its fees page.
Does Southwark have an Article 4 direction for HMOs?
Official planning data lists 2 HMO Article 4 areas for Southwark. Inside these areas, turning a family house (use class C3) into a small HMO (C4) needs planning permission.
How often do landlords in Southwark face rent repayment orders or fines?
The First-tier Tribunal has published 41 rent repayment order decisions for properties in Southwark (28 with an order made), median award £12,116, and 1 civil penalty appeal. 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
Last checked 28 Sep 2026. Information, not legal advice. Licensing schemes change often; always confirm with the council before you act.