Applying for an HMO licence in Croydon?
First-time HMO landlord, or already letting? Croydon's new borough-wide Additional HMO scheme and 14-ward Selective scheme came into force on 25 September 2026. If your property is covered, you need to apply now. We'll inspect your property, tell you exactly what needs fixing, and (if you'd like) submit the licence application for you. Inspections from £199, licence applications from £295. No jargon, no surprises.
Croydon's new licensing schemes are now live. Apply now.Croydon's new Additional scheme (covering smaller HMOs of 3 or 4 sharers borough-wide) and 14-ward Selective scheme came into force on 25 September 2026. If your property is covered and you haven't applied, you're operating unlicensed, with fines up to £40,000 and tenants able to claim back up to 24 months' rent.
Which Croydon Licence Applies to You?
Croydon has the existing Mandatory scheme plus two new schemes that came into force on 25 September 2026 — Additional (borough-wide) and Selective (14 wards). Which one applies depends on how many people live in the property and where it sits in the borough. The table below explains each in plain English. Not sure where you fit? Send us the address and number of occupants on WhatsApp — we'll tell you in 5 minutes.
Mandatory
Required where 5 or more people from 2+ households share. Croydon's mandatory fee is calculated per habitable room (bedrooms + living/dining rooms) — unusual among London councils.
£285 per habitable room (5-yr) · max £5,707Additional
Croydon's new borough-wide scheme. Required for any HMO of 3 or more unrelated occupants from 2+ households (Section 254 and 257).
£1,250 application feeSelective
Required for single-family or two-sharer lets in 14 designated wards. The 14 wards contain about 72.5% of the borough's PRS — over 32,000 properties.
£800 application feeCroydon offers three stackable discounts on the new additional and selective licences: £100 for accredited landlords, £100 for multi-dwelling applications, and £50 for properties with an EPC rating of B or above — up to £250 saving per licence. There is no accredited-landlord discount on mandatory HMO fees.
Croydon's Biggest Licensing Move Since 2015.
Croydon previously ran a borough-wide selective licensing scheme from 2015 to 2020 that issued around 38,596 licences. The Secretary of State refused renewal in 2021. Five years later, the council has rebuilt its evidence base and is returning with two narrower, targeted schemes — both designated under the Housing Act 2004 (Part 2 additional, Part 3 selective).
How We De-Risk Your Application.
Croydon's licensing team has explicitly committed to "proactive inspections" of licensed properties — they will inspect, and they will find what's there. The cost of getting an independent inspection now and addressing issues at your own pace is significantly lower than scrambling under enforcement pressure once the council inspects.
On-site inspection by an EHO. Full report against Croydon's licence conditions: fire safety (LACORS), room sizes, amenity provision, electrical and gas safety, and management standards. You get a prioritised action list, not a generic checklist.
Get a quoteWe complete and submit your Additional, Selective or Mandatory HMO licence application via Croydon's online portal. Includes plan annotation, document collation and direct liaison with the licensing team.
Get a quoteCommon Croydon HMO Setups.
Croydon spans inner-suburban dense terraces in the north and west, town-centre flats around East Croydon, and larger suburban semis in the south. The licence conditions are the same, but typical findings vary heavily by area.
Thornton Heath & SelhurstCR7 · SE25 · Selective wards
High-density Victorian and Edwardian terraces, many converted into bedsit-style HMOs. Common findings: protected escape routes blocked by tenant possessions, original timber-floor construction failing 30-minute fire resistance between units, and bedrooms below the national 6.51 m² minimum where landlords have squeezed in an extra letting.
Norbury & Pollards HillCR7 · SW16 · Selective ward
Inter-war semis and Edwardian terraces let to mixed family and sharer households. Typical issues: outdated EICRs, missing interlinked smoke alarms on landings, damp and mould management gaps that fall foul of Awaab's Law obligations from May 2026.
East Croydon & FairfieldCR0 · CR9 · Selective ward
Town-centre purpose-built flats and converted office stock. Issues are often documentation: shared utilities arrangements, accurate occupancy declarations, management agreements where a separate agent handles the day-to-day. Newer stock has fewer physical defects but management compliance is still scrutinised.
Addiscombe & WoodsideCR0 · Selective wards
Post-war terraces and low-rise flats, often family lets. Now in selective scope. Common findings: kitchen ventilation not meeting modern HMO amenity standards, older boilers without recent service records, and EPCs that lapsed mid-tenancy.
South Croydon & WaddonCR2 · CR0 · Selective wards
Larger Edwardian villas and inter-war semis, sometimes converted into 4-5 person sharers. Typical issues: bedroom sizes inadequate for adult occupation under the national HMO standard (6.51 m²), bathroom-to-occupant ratios failing Croydon's amenity standards, and means of escape compromised by ground-floor extensions.
Questions Croydon Landlords Are Asking.
Croydon already had a selective licensing scheme that ended in 2020. Is this a renewal?
Not exactly. The 2015-2020 borough-wide scheme issued around 38,596 licences but the Secretary of State refused renewal in 2021. The new scheme is a fresh designation, narrower in scope (14 wards vs borough-wide) and built on a new evidence base. If you held a licence under the old scheme, it has long expired — there is no roll-over.
How does Croydon's mandatory HMO licence fee work — it's per room?
Yes. Croydon's mandatory HMO licence is £285 per habitable room (£171 Part A + £114 Part B) for a 5-year licence — habitable rooms include both bedrooms and living/dining rooms. A shorter 1-year licence is £194 per room. Maximum cap is £5,707 per property. There is no discount for accredited landlords on mandatory fees. This is unusual — most London boroughs charge a flat fee.
What discounts are available on Croydon's new additional and selective licences?
Three stackable discounts: £100 for accredited landlords (e.g. London Landlord Accreditation Scheme), £100 for multi-dwelling applications (more than one property submitted together), and £50 for properties with an EPC rating of B or above. Maximum stack saves £250 per licence — significant against the £1,250 additional or £800 selective headline fees.
I'm in one of the 14 selective wards but I let to a single family. Do I really need a licence?
Yes. Since 25 September 2026, every privately rented property in the 14 designated wards needs a selective licence regardless of how many tenants there are — single-family lets included. The exemption is only for HMOs already covered by mandatory or additional licensing. The 14 wards are Addiscombe East, Addiscombe West, Bensham Manor, Broad Green, Fairfield, Norbury & Pollards Hill, Norbury Park, Selhurst, South Croydon, South Norwood, Thornton Heath, Waddon, West Thornton and Woodside.
The schemes are now live. What should I do if I haven't applied yet?
Apply as soon as possible. A valid application that has been submitted is a defence while the council decides, so the priority is getting it in. An independent inspection first means you can fix any issues and submit a clean application, rather than doing remedial works under pressure after the council inspects.
Do you work with letting agents managing Croydon HMOs?
Yes — we work with letting agents and managing agents handling HMO portfolios. If you'd value an independent third-party compliance check rather than relying on your team's own walkthrough, get in touch about volume arrangements.