Licensing in Thurrock

• Selective licence

  In force

  Thurrock Council Designation for Areas for Selective Licensing 2025 No 1

  Area

  16 of Thurrock's 20 former wards, as delineated and edged green on the map in Annex A to the designation. The four former wards not covered are Little Thurrock Blackshots, Orsett, Stifford Clays and The Homesteads. The current (2025) ward names do not match these areas, so landlords should check the designation map or ask the council.

  16 wards named in the designation:

  • Aveley and Uplands
  • Belhus
  • Chadwell St Mary
  • Chafford and North Stifford
  • Corringham and Fobbing
  • East Tilbury
  • Grays Riverside
  • Grays Thurrock
  • Little Thurrock Rectory
  • Ockendon
  • South Chafford
  • Stanford East and Corringham Town
  • Stanford-le-Hope West
  • Tilbury Riverside and Thurrock Park
  • Tilbury St Chads
  • West Thurrock and South Stifford

  Ward boundaries: pre-2025 wards (the wards in use before the Thurrock (Electoral Changes) Order 2025). The designation was made on 17 September 2025 using these older ward names and boundaries, and the council's FAQ says later ward boundary changes do not affect the designated area.

  Runs

  5 January 2026 to 3 January 2031

  Fee

  £1,034.90 for 5 years

  Fees shown on the council's fees page, headed 'apply from 1 April 2025', and repeated in the selective licensing FAQ on 14 October 2026. Paid in two parts: Part A £236.98 with the application (non-refundable) and Part B £797.92 once the council is satisfied a draft licence can be granted, total £1,034.90. Higher rate for landlords who have operated unlicensed for more than 12 weeks: Part A £236.98 plus Part B £1,530.42, total £1,767.40, unless the landlord shows the property became licensable within the last 12 weeks. Paper application surcharge £500. The council says it offers no discounts and fees are not paid in instalments.

  Who needs one

  Every privately rented house or flat in the designated wards let under a tenancy or licence, including homes let to a single person, a couple or a family, unless it is an HMO that needs a mandatory or additional HMO licence or is otherwise exempt.

  Exemptions

  The designation excludes HMOs licensable under mandatory or additional HMO licensing, homes let by a registered social landlord, homes under an interim or final management order, homes with a temporary exemption notice, and tenancies exempt under the Selective Licensing of Houses (Specified Exemptions) (England) Order 2006. The council's FAQ lists owner-occupiers, holiday lets, long leases and business tenancies, religious communities, student accommodation managed by educational institutions, and resident landlords sharing with up to two lodgers. Regulated (Rent Act 1977) and assured tenancies are not exempt.

  Apply on the council's websiteLicence conditionsCouncil's map or designation
  ›How we checked this

  Designation made on 17 September 2025 under section 80 of the Housing Act 2004, falling within the 2024 General Approval, so no Secretary of State confirmation was needed. The public notice says it 'shall come into force on 5 January 2026' and 'shall cease to have effect on 4 January 2031', so the last day in force is 3 January 2031. Applications opened on 1 November 2025. A judicial review claim led to an interim injunction early in 2026; on 13 March 2026 the High Court refused permission for judicial review and the council resumed the scheme, later refusing a second injunction application. The council gave landlords until 5pm on 31 March 2026 to apply, after which the higher fee or enforcement may apply. On 29 July 2026 the council announced that the High Court had dismissed the renewed claim after an oral hearing, found the scheme lawful and ordered the claimant to pay £7,500 costs. The designation's ward list contains typing errors ('Grays Roverside', 'Standford East and Corringham Town', 'Stanford-Le-Hope West'); the names above follow the council's scheme page and news releases. Paragraph 5(b) of the designation refers to the additional licensing designation as '2021 made on 7 May 2025', which appears to be a drafting error. Licences normally last up to five years but may be shorter. Penalties stated by the council: civil penalty up to £30,000 (the scheme page also mentions up to £40,000 under the Renters' Rights Act), prosecution with an unlimited fine, rent repayment orders, and no section 21 notice while unlicensed.

  Sources

  • thurrock.gov.uk: notice of designation of an area for selective licensing in accordance with section
  • thurrock.gov.uk: selective licensing scheme
  • thurrock.gov.uk: selective licensing faqs
  • thurrock.gov.uk: fees and charges
  • thurrock.gov.uk: applying for property licence
  • thurrock.gov.uk: enforcement
  • thurrock.gov.uk: thurrock council introduces new selective licensing scheme to improve privately rented homes in
  • thurrock.gov.uk: thurrock council’s selective licensing scheme resumes after high court ruling
  • thurrock.gov.uk: selective licensing scheme continues following court ruling to deny second inunction
  • thurrock.gov.uk: court upholds councils selective licensing scheme
  • legislation.gov.uk: made

• Additional HMO licence

  In forceMedium confidence

  Thurrock Council Designation of an Area for Additional Licensing of Houses in Multiple Occupation 2025

  Area

  The entire borough of Thurrock, as edged red on the map in Annex A to the designation.

  Runs

  7 September 2025 to 5 August 2030

  Fee

  £1,670 for 5 years

  The council's fees page (fees 'apply from 1 April 2025') gives one HMO fee table and does not separate mandatory and additional licences. New 5-year HMO licence, application fee plus licence fee: 2 to 5 rooms £694 + £976 (£1,670); 6 to 10 rooms £722 + £1,018; 11 to 15 rooms £866 + £1,059; 16 to 20 rooms £855 + £1,120; 21 to 29 rooms £966 + £1,434; 30 or more £1,138 + £1,637. Renewal (no changes or breaches): 2 to 5 rooms £650 + £890. Lapsed licence (renewal not made before expiry), 2 to 5 rooms £1,670. Paper application £108 extra. The standard figure above assumes the 2 to 5 room band.

  Who needs one

  HMOs (as defined by section 254 of the Housing Act 2004, excluding section 254(1)(e) buildings) occupied by 3 or more people forming 2 or more households that do not need a mandatory HMO licence. In practice, shared houses with 3 or 4 occupiers from 2 or more households anywhere in Thurrock.

  Exemptions

  Buildings described in Schedule 14 of the Housing Act 2004, HMOs under an interim or final management order, HMOs with a temporary exemption notice, and HMOs that need a mandatory licence.

  Apply on the council's websiteCouncil's map or designation
  ›How we checked this

  Designation made on 7 May 2025 under section 56 of the Housing Act 2004 within the 2015 General Approval. The amended public notice says it 'shall come into force on 7th September 2025' and 'will cease to have effect on 6th August 2030', so the last day in force is 5 August 2030. That is less than five years, although the council's page calls it 'a new 5 year scheme', so the end date may be a drafting error in the notice. Paragraph 7 of the notice lists exclusions (a) to (d) but refers to '(a) to (e)'. This replaces an earlier additional licensing scheme that ran from 1 June 2019 to 31 May 2024 in certain wards (council briefing note, March 2023). Failure to licence can lead to an unlimited fine or a civil penalty of up to £30,000, a rent repayment order of up to 12 months' rent, and no section 21 notice while unlicensed. No separate additional-licensing conditions document was found on the council's pages.

  Sources

  • thurrock.gov.uk: additional licensing for hmos
  • thurrock.gov.uk: thurrock council designation of an area for additional licensing of houses in multiple occupation 2025 public notice amended (PDF)
  • thurrock.gov.uk: fees and charges
  • thurrock.gov.uk: licensing for certain hmos
  • thurrock.gov.uk: apply for licence
  • thurrock.moderngov.co.uk: Item 9 Briefing Note Houses of Multiple Occupation (PDF)

• Mandatory HMO licence

  In force

  Mandatory HMO licensing (national scheme, Thurrock fees)

  Area

  The whole of Thurrock (national scheme).

  Fee

  £1,670 for 5 years

  Same HMO fee table as the additional scheme, fees 'apply from 1 April 2025': new licence, 2 to 5 rooms, application fee £694 plus licence fee £976 (£1,670), rising by number of rooms to £1,138 + £1,637 for 30 or more rooms. Renewal and lapsed-licence rates as listed for the additional scheme. Change of manager £255; assistance with licensing £85 per hour.

  Who needs one

  HMOs occupied by 5 or more people forming 2 or more households.

  Exemptions

  Statutory exemptions under Schedule 14 of the Housing Act 2004.

  Apply on the council's website
  ›How we checked this

  This is the national scheme. Thurrock publishes its own page and fees. Licences last 5 years unless circumstances change; a change of licence holder needs a new application. The council publishes a February 2021 HMO licensing policy. Operating a licensable HMO without a licence can lead to an unlimited fine or a civil penalty of up to £30,000.

  Sources

  • thurrock.gov.uk: licensing for certain hmos
  • thurrock.gov.uk: fees and charges
  • thurrock.gov.uk: apply for licence
  • thurrock.gov.uk: hmo policy v03 (PDF)

We found no Article 4 direction on house shares in Thurrock.

Council source

Thurrock's civil penalty policy

• Selective Licensing for Private Rented PropertiesApproved

  Closed 22 Jul 2025

We could not settle these points when we researched Thurrock on 14 October 2026. Check them with the council before you rely on them.

• Not yet confirmed

  The additional licensing designation says it ceases to have effect on 6 August 2030, less than five years after its 7 September 2025 start, while the council page calls it a 5-year scheme. Confirm whether the end date is a drafting error.

• Not yet confirmed

  The fees page is headed 'apply from 1 April 2025'. No 2026/27 fee schedule was found; confirm the current fees with the council.

• Not yet confirmed

  The fees page gives one HMO fee table without saying whether it applies equally to mandatory and additional licences.

• Not yet confirmed

  No civil penalty policy updated for the Renters' Rights Act 2025 was found (searched the council site and committee papers via web search; the thurrock.moderngov.co.uk agenda pages returned HTTP 403 to automated requests).

• Not yet confirmed

  The selective designation uses the former wards. Which current (2025) wards and streets fall inside the designated area can only be confirmed from the designation map or the council.

The national landlord register is separate from licensing. Thurrock is in East of England, where registration is planned from 15 January 2027 to 14 April 2027. The regulations are still in draft. Read about the register