Licensing in Westminster

• Selective licence

  In force

  Westminster City Council Designation for Areas for Selective Licensing 2025 No. 1

  Area

  Designation 1: eight wards chosen on the poor housing conditions ground, edged blue on the Annex A map. With Designation 2 the scheme covers 15 of 18 wards. Pimlico South, St James's and Vincent Square have no selective licensing.

  8 wards, as named in the designation (current Westminster wards (18-ward pattern; names match the ONS 2026 ward lookup)):

  • Abbey Road
  • Church Street
  • Harrow Road
  • Knightsbridge and Belgravia
  • Little Venice
  • Maida Vale
  • Queen’s Park
  • Westbourne

  Runs

  24 November 2025 to 23 November 2030

  Fee

  £995 for 5 years

  Part A £543 on application, Part B £452 on grant (automatically debited). Discounts: accredited landlord 10% of total (£99.50, off Part B); EPC B or above 20% of Part B (£90.40); EPC C 10% of Part B (£45.20); multiple leaseholds in the same freehold £125 off Part B; charities housing only vulnerable people 100%. A full schedule of fees is published as a PDF. Fee page last updated 18 June 2026.

  Who needs one

  All privately rented homes in the designated wards let to a single household or family, a single tenant, or two people sharing, unless licensed as an HMO under the mandatory or additional schemes.

  Exemptions

  Mandatory HMOs; HMOs licensable under the additional HMO designation; registered social landlord tenancies; properties under an interim or final management order; temporary exemptions (s.86); tenancies exempt under SI 2006/370. The designation footnote says section 257 buildings are not licensed under the additional scheme, so each single-household flat in one needs a selective licence.

  Notes

  This is Westminster's first selective licensing scheme. Made 24 June 2025 under the 2024 general approval (no Secretary of State confirmation needed), in force 24 November 2025, and ceases 23 November 2030. The council says landlords who have applied may keep letting while the application is processed. Licences last up to 5 years. The council FAQs describe the Renters' Rights Act sanctions: a civil penalty up to £40,000 and rent repayment orders up to 24 months.

  Apply on the council siteLicence conditionsDesignation or map

  Sources

  • westminster.gov.uk: Selective Licensing Designation No 1 (PDF)
  • westminster.gov.uk: Public Notice Designation No1 (PDF)
  • westminster.gov.uk: do i need licence
  • westminster.gov.uk: licence fees and discounts
  • westminster.gov.uk: selective licensing designations

• Selective licence

  In force

  Westminster City Council Designation for Areas for Selective Licensing 2025 No 2

  Area

  Designation 2: seven wards with both poor housing conditions and significant and persistent anti-social behaviour, edged red on the Annex A map.

  7 wards, as named in the designation (current Westminster wards (18-ward pattern; names match the ONS 2026 ward lookup)):

  • Bayswater
  • Hyde Park
  • Lancaster Gate
  • Marylebone
  • Pimlico North
  • Regent’s Park
  • West End

  Runs

  24 November 2025 to 23 November 2030

  Fee

  £995 for 5 years

  Same fees and discounts as Designation 1: Part A £543, Part B £452.

  Who needs one

  All privately rented homes in the designated wards let to a single household or family, a single tenant, or two people sharing, unless licensed as an HMO under the mandatory or additional schemes.

  Exemptions

  Same as Designation 1.

  Notes

  Made 24 June 2025, in force 24 November 2025, and ceases 23 November 2030.

  Apply on the council siteLicence conditionsDesignation or map

  Sources

  • westminster.gov.uk: Selective Licensing Designation No 2 (PDF)
  • westminster.gov.uk: Public Notice of Designation No2 (PDF)
  • westminster.gov.uk: do i need licence

• Additional HMO licence

  In force

  Westminster City Council Designation for an Area for Additional Licensing of Houses in Multiple Occupation 2026

  Area

  The whole City of Westminster (Annex A map).

  Runs

  31 August 2026 to 30 August 2031

  Fee

  £1,540 for 5 years

  Mandatory and additional licences for up to 5 bedrooms: Part A £855 + Part B £685 = £1,540 (labelled 'from 1 April 2025'), plus £68 per letting above 5. For very large HMOs payment is taken for up to 25 lettings at application, with the balance after inspection. Discounts: 10% for LLAS-accredited landlords or qualifying trade body members (not where unlicensed HMOs are found by the council); EPC C 10% off Part B; EPC B or above 20% off Part B. Charities housing only vulnerable people are exempt from fees. Fee page last updated 3 June 2026.

  Who needs one

  All section 254 HMOs occupied by 3 or more people forming 2 or more households that are not mandatory HMOs. This includes shared houses and flats, HMOs in purpose-built blocks, and some hostel or staff accommodation.

  Exemptions

  Schedule 14 buildings; HMOs under an interim or final management order; temporary exemption notices (s.62); mandatory HMOs; and, new in 2026, section 257 converted blocks of flats.

  Notes

  This scheme started six weeks before this research and renews the 2021 scheme. Cabinet decided on 16 March 2026, the designation was made on 21 April 2026, it came into force on 31 August 2026, and it ceases on 30 August 2031. The designation text has a typo, '30st August 2031'. Licences granted under the 2021 designation stay valid until their expiry dates; renewal applications can be made up to 3 months before expiry. The main change from 2021 is that section 257 HMOs are now excluded. The public notice cites rent repayment orders of up to 2 years' rent.

  Apply on the council siteDesignation or map

  Sources

  • westminster.gov.uk: additional hmo licensing designation 2026 (PDF)
  • westminster.gov.uk: additional hmo licensing public notice 2026 (PDF)
  • westminster.gov.uk: additional licensing scheme renewal
  • westminster.gov.uk: licence fees and guidance
  • westminster.moderngov.co.uk: mgAi

• Mandatory HMO licence

  In force

  Mandatory HMO licensing (national scheme, Westminster fees)

  Area

  The whole City of Westminster (national scheme).

  Fee

  £1,540 for 5 years

  Same as additional: £1,540 for up to 5 bedrooms (A £855 + B £685) plus £68 per extra letting, with the same discounts.

  Who needs one

  Rented properties occupied by 5 or more people living as 2 or more separate households who share facilities.

  Exemptions

  Statutory exemptions under Schedule 14, Housing Act 2004.

  Notes

  This is the national scheme. The council publishes its own page and fees. The 2026 Cabinet decision applies the new licence conditions to all section 254 HMOs, including mandatory ones.

  Apply on the council site

  Sources

  • westminster.gov.uk: houses multiple occupation hmo
  • westminster.gov.uk: licence fees and guidance

• Additional HMO licence

  Ended

  Westminster City Council Designation of an Area for Additional Licensing of Houses in Multiple Occupation 2021

  Area

  The whole City of Westminster.

  Runs

  30 August 2021 to 29 August 2026

  Fee

  Not yet confirmed

  Replaced by the 2026 designation. Current fees are recorded on that scheme.

  Who needs one

  Section 254 HMOs occupied by 3 or more persons in 2 or more households, and section 257 HMOs where less than two-thirds of the flats are owner-occupied, unless they are mandatory HMOs or otherwise excluded.

  Exemptions

  Schedule 14 buildings; management orders; temporary exemptions; mandatory HMOs. Excluded s.257 HMOs: blocks of only two flats not above or below commercial premises, and blocks with no shared internal or external common parts no more than two storeys high.

  Notes

  Made 21 April 2021 and in force 30 August 2021. The designation says it 'shall cease to have effect on 30th August 2026 or earlier if the Council revokes the scheme'. That is the fifth anniversary of the start, so end_date is 29 August 2026, the last day in force. The 2026 designation came into force on 31 August 2026, so on a literal reading neither designation covered 30 August 2026. Recorded because it ended within the last 12 months, and licences granted under it remain valid until their individual expiry dates. The source is a scanned PDF read visually.

  Sources

  • westminster.gov.uk: additional hmo licensing designation
  • westminster.gov.uk: houses multiple occupation hmo

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

Council source

Westminster's civil penalty policy

• Renewal of the Additional HMO Licensing SchemeApproved

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

• Not yet confirmed

  No Renters' Rights Act updated civil penalty policy was found. The policy linked from the licensing pages is the 2021 one (£300 to £30,000 matrix), while council pages quote the new £40,000 maximum. Confirm which policy and starting points apply to offences from 1 May 2026.

• Not yet confirmed

  The HMO fee page labels the £1,540 fee 'from 1 April 2025' although the page was updated on 3 June 2026. Confirm there was no 2026/27 increase.

• Not yet confirmed

  The 2025 selective designation footnote says section 257 buildings are not licensed under the additional scheme, but the 2021 additional designation did include most s.257 HMOs until it ceased to have effect on 30 August 2026. Flats in s.257 blocks in selective wards need selective licences.

• Not yet confirmed

  Additional licensing on 30 August 2026: the 2021 designation 'shall cease to have effect on 30th August 2026' and the 2026 designation came into force on 31 August 2026, so on a literal reading no additional designation covered 30 August 2026. The council has not said how it treats that day.

Licensing is separate from the national landlord register. Westminster 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