Licensing in Lewisham

• Selective licence

  In force

  London Borough of Lewisham Designations for Areas for Selective Licensing 2023

  Area

  Three designations under one notice. Designation one: Brockley, Catford South, Lewisham Central, New Cross, Perry Vale, Rushey Green. Designation two: Crofton Park, Evelyn, Ladywell, Lee Green, Sydenham. Designation three: Bellingham, Downham, Forest Hill, Grove Park, Whitefoot. The old Telegraph Hill and Blackheath wards are not listed. The council describes the excluded area as Telegraph Hill and parts of (current) Blackheath.

  16 wards, as named in the designation (pre-2022 wards (the designation states 'pre-May 2022 ward boundaries')):

  • Brockley
  • Catford South
  • Lewisham Central
  • New Cross
  • Perry Vale
  • Rushey Green
  • Crofton Park
  • Evelyn
  • Ladywell
  • Lee Green
  • Sydenham
  • Bellingham
  • Downham
  • Forest Hill
  • Grove Park
  • Whitefoot

  Runs

  1 July 2024 to 30 June 2029

  Fee

  £640 for 5 years

  £160 on application plus £480 on grant. Discounts for early applications, accredited landlords (LLAS, NRLA) and eligible charities are taken off the second payment; amounts are not stated on the page. The selective licensing page was published 31 March 2026.

  Who needs one

  Any house or flat let or occupied under a tenancy or licence in the designated areas, typically a single household or 1-2 people, that is not a licensable HMO.

  Exemptions

  Mandatory HMOs and HMOs licensable under the Lewisham additional scheme; registered social landlord tenancies; properties under interim or final management orders; properties with a temporary exemption notice; tenancies exempt under SI 2006/370 (Annex B of the notice: business tenancies, public-body lettings, specified student lettings, long leases over 21 years, family arrangements, holiday lets, resident-landlord sharing). Individual flats in section 257 buildings need a selective licence if occupied by a single household.

  Notes

  Designations were made on 8 March 2023 and confirmed by the Secretary of State on 30 November 2023. They came into force on 1 July 2024 and 'shall cease to have effect on 01.07.2029 (not more than 5 years)' (notice signed 5 December 2023), so end_date is 30 June 2029, the last day in force. The council says the scheme covers around 20,000 properties. The council's application page describes it as covering '18 wards ... except Telegraph Hill and a small area of Blackheath'. The designation itself lists 16 pre-2022 wards, so use the map or designation for borderline addresses. A licence usually lasts five years but may be shorter. The council page's 'designation map and conditions list' link (an .ashx URL) returned HTTP 404 on 2026-10-14; the working designation PDF contains only the map (Annex A) and exemptions (Annex B), and no selective conditions document was found.

  Apply on the council siteDesignation or map

  Sources

  • lewisham.gov.uk: selective licensing
  • lewisham.gov.uk: lbl selective licensing designation (PDF)
  • lewisham.gov.uk: apply for a private property licence

• Additional HMO licence

  In force

  London Borough of Lewisham Designation for an Area for Additional Licensing of Houses in Multiple Occupation 2022

  Area

  The entire London Borough of Lewisham, edged in black on Annex A of the notice.

  Runs

  5 April 2022 to 4 April 2027

  Fee

  £500 for 5 years

  Per lettable unit: Part 1 £250 on application plus Part 2 £250 before issue. Accredited landlord: Part 2 £150 (£400 total). Transfer from an existing additional licence or an eligible charity pays Part 1 only. The early-bird discount applied only before 5 April 2022. The fee page shows 'Published on: 21/06/2016' while referring to the 2022 scheme, but the 14 January 2026 Housing Select Committee report (para 8.2) says 'The fee charge for each type of licence is £500 for the Mandatory and Additional schemes', and the page still showed £250 + £250 per lettable unit on 2026-10-14.

  Who needs one

  HMOs that are not mandatory-licensable: 3-4 people in 2 or more households sharing kitchen, toilet or bathroom; flats in purpose-built blocks with 3 or more sharers from 2 or more households; lodger arrangements with more than two tenants sharing with the landlord's household.

  Exemptions

  Mandatory HMOs; properties under interim or final management orders; HMOs with a temporary exemption; Schedule 14 buildings; section 257 converted blocks of flats are excluded from this scheme. Two sharers and family homes are not covered.

  Notes

  Approved by Mayor and Cabinet on 11 March 2020 under the 2015 General Approval (notice signed 29 October 2021). In force 5 April 2022 and ceases 4 April 2027, so it expires in under six months. No renewal consultation was found on Lewisham's Citizen Space hub (all 182 activities checked, 2026-10-14). The council's application page says the scheme was introduced on '22 April 2022', which conflicts with the designation and HMO page (5 April 2022). The 14 January 2026 Housing Select Committee report (para 4.7) says the scheme 'will run until April 2027' and that the council 'will need to decide whether to consult on designating a new scheme from May 2027 onwards'; no decision had been made then, so a gap from 5 April 2027 is likely (see open_questions).

  Apply on the council siteLicence conditionsDesignation or map

  Sources

  • lewisham.gov.uk: which houses in multiple occupation hmos need a licence
  • lewisham.gov.uk: public notice additional licensing scheme designation 2020 (PDF)
  • lewisham.gov.uk: licensing fees for houses in multiple occupation hmos
  • lewisham.moderngov.co.uk: Private Sector Licensing Update (PDF)

• Mandatory HMO licence

  In forceMedium confidence

  National Mandatory HMO Licensing

  Area

  National scheme across the whole borough.

  Fee

  £500 for 5 years

  Same per-lettable-unit fee structure as the additional scheme: £250 plus £250, or Part 2 £150 if accredited. The fee page shows 'Published on: 21/06/2016'. The 14 January 2026 Housing Select Committee report (para 8.2) gives £500 for mandatory licences.

  Who needs one

  HMOs with 5 or more people in more than one household sharing amenities.

  Exemptions

  Statutory exemptions (Schedule 14, Housing Act 2004).

  Notes

  Fee currency is uncertain because of the 2016 publication stamp on the fee page.

  Apply on the council siteLicence conditions

  Sources

  • lewisham.gov.uk: which houses in multiple occupation hmos need a licence
  • lewisham.gov.uk: licensing fees for houses in multiple occupation hmos

Council source

Lewisham's civil penalty policy

No consultation was recorded when we researched Lewisham.

These points were unresolved when we researched Lewisham on 14 October 2026. Check them with the council before you rely on them.

• Not yet confirmed

  Additional HMO designation's last day in force is 4 April 2027. The 14 January 2026 Housing Select Committee 'Private Sector Licensing Update' report (https://lewisham.moderngov.co.uk/documents/s123307/Private%20Sector%20Licensing%20Update.pdf, para 4.7) says the scheme 'will run until April 2027' and that the council 'will need to decide whether to consult on designating a new scheme from May 2027 onwards'; no decision had been made then. No licensing consultation is open on consultation.lewisham.gov.uk as of 2026-10-14. A 10-week consultation plus 3 months' notice cannot now finish before 5 April 2027, so a gap in additional HMO licensing from 5 April 2027 is likely. Not independently re-checked (verification of 2026-10-14): whether Mayor and Cabinet has scheduled a decision since January 2026 (Lewisham's moderngov pages are bot-blocked).

• Not yet confirmed

  Selective ward coverage: the council application page says 18 wards excluding Telegraph Hill and a small area of Blackheath; the designation lists 16 pre-2022 wards. Check borderline addresses against the interactive map.

• Not yet confirmed

  Additional HMO start date conflict: 5 April 2022 (designation, HMO page) vs 22 April 2022 (application page). The designation date is used.

• Not yet confirmed

  HMO fee page still carries a 2016 publication stamp. The 14 January 2026 Housing Select Committee report (para 8.2) says the fee 'is £500 for the Mandatory and Additional schemes and £640 for the selective licencing scheme', and the fee page re-fetched on 2026-10-14 still shows £250 + £250 per lettable unit, so the fee appears current; no dated 2026/27 fee schedule was found.

• Not yet confirmed

  Selective early-bird and accreditation discount amounts are not published on the selective licensing page.

• Not yet confirmed

  Lewisham landlord pages are inconsistent on penalties. The application page and one selective-licensing FAQ answer still quote a £30,000 maximum and 12-month rent repayment; another FAQ answer and the May 2026 policies say £40,000.

• Not yet confirmed

  Selective licence conditions: the council's 'designation map and conditions list' link returns 404 (2026-10-14) and no working conditions document was found (conditions_url is null).

Licensing is separate from the national landlord register. Lewisham is in London, where the planned registration window runs from 15 July 2027 to 14 October 2027. The regulations are still in draft. Register dates, fee and documents