Additional HMO licensing · Additional HMO licensing 2025
In force | Area covered | Whole council area |
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| Runs | 1 Apr 2025 to 31 May 2030 |
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| Fee | £1,200 (Part A £600 + Part B £600) per HMO |
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| Discounts | multi-property £1,075; EPC C £1,105; EPC A/B £800 |
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Council licensing page Public register
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: start day not stated (April 2025); 31 May 2030 end implies start >= 1 Jun 2025 -> conflict, confirm; s257 not stated
Checked 28 Sept 2026.
Selective licensing · Selective licensing 2025
In force | Area covered | Whole area except listed wards |
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| Wards excluded | Hatch Lane & Highams Park North, Endlebury |
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| Runs | 1 May 2025 to 30 Apr 2030 |
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| Fee | £895 (Part A £300 + Part B £595) per property |
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| Discounts | multi-property £770; EPC C £800; EPC A/B £600; charity £400 |
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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 Public register
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: start day not stated (May 2025)
Checked 28 Sept 2026.
Mandatory HMO licensing in Waltham Forest
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.
Waltham Forest HMO licence register
The council's public register of licensed properties: London Borough of Waltham Forest public register. Use it to check whether a property already holds a licence, for example before you buy. Licences do not transfer to a new owner.
Waltham Forest Article 4 and HMO planning rules
Official planning data lists 1 HMO Article 4 area for Waltham Forest. 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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| Other Article 4 Direction Area | 16 Sept 2014 | 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 Waltham Forest
Figures below count First-tier Tribunal (Property Chamber) decisions published on GOV.UK for properties located in Waltham Forest. 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 | 50 (21 in the last 3 years) |
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| Orders made | 36 (81.8% of decisions with a known outcome) |
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| Median award | £6,593 (last 3 years: £8,522) |
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| Total awarded | £265,471 |
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| Civil penalty appeals | 28 |
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| Penalty upheld (in full or reduced) | 92.9% · confirmed in full 64.3% |
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| Median penalty: council's notice / after tribunal | £9,500 / £8,550 |
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| Other Housing Act appeals (licence terms, notices, orders) | 17 |
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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 Waltham Forest
Waltham Forest 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 Waltham Forest 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.
Waltham Forest licensing: common questions
Is there selective licensing in Waltham Forest?
Yes. Selective licensing 2025: in force until 30 Apr 2030 (part of the area). Check the council's map or address checker to confirm your street.
How much is an HMO licence in Waltham Forest?
Additional HMO licensing: £1,200 (per HMO); Selective licensing: £895 (per property). Fees for mandatory HMO licences are set by the council and published on its fees page.
Does Waltham Forest have an Article 4 direction for HMOs?
Official planning data lists 1 HMO Article 4 area for Waltham Forest. Inside these areas, turning a family house (use class C3) into a small HMO (C4) needs planning permission.
Where is the Waltham Forest HMO licence register?
The council publishes its public register of licences here: London Borough of Waltham Forest register. Councils must keep a register of licences under section 232 of the Housing Act 2004.
How often do landlords in Waltham Forest face rent repayment orders or fines?
The First-tier Tribunal has published 50 rent repayment order decisions for properties in Waltham Forest (36 with an order made), median award £6,593, and 28 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
Last checked 28 Sep 2026. Information, not legal advice. Licensing schemes change often; always confirm with the council before you act.