Selective licensing Croydon: the 2026 schemes explained

Landlord licence Croydon at a glance

Sources: Croydon Council pages listed under Sources, checked 21 October 2026.

How big is the private rented sector in Croydon?

The 2021 Census counted 152,945 households in Croydon, and 39,441 of them (25.8%) rented from a private landlord or letting agent, or rented privately in another way. Across England and Wales the figure was 20.3%, so Croydon's private rented share is well above the national average. Croydon had the 20th largest number of private renting households of any of the 331 local authorities, and the 50th highest share. 83,667 households (54.7%) were owner-occupiers and 27,371 (17.9%) were social renters.

Selective licensing in Croydon: the 14 wards

Selective licensing applies to privately rented homes in Addiscombe East, Addiscombe West, Bensham Manor, Broad Green, Fairfield, Norbury and Pollards Hill, Norbury Park, Selhurst, South Croydon, South Norwood, Thornton Heath, Waddon, West Thornton and Woodside. The designation notices were published on 27 March 2026, and the commencement date was amended from 1 September to 25 September 2026; the designated area itself didn't change.

If your property is in one of those wards and isn't an HMO, you need a selective licence. Homes in Croydon's other wards don't need one, though shared houses there may still need an HMO licence.

Croydon additional HMO licensing 2026

From 25 September 2026, additional HMO licensing applies across the whole borough to HMOs occupied by 3 or 4 people forming 2 or more households. You must apply before renting the property out, unless it already holds a mandatory HMO licence or is exempt. Certain converted blocks of flats (section 257 HMOs of 3 or more storeys converted into 3 or more flats under the same ownership or control) are excluded. If a property already has a mandatory HMO licence, it doesn't need an additional or selective licence as well.

Mandatory HMO licensing in Croydon

HMOs occupied by 5 or more people who aren't a single household and share facilities need a mandatory licence anywhere in the borough. Additional and mandatory licences both last up to 5 years, unless compliance or management concerns lead the council to grant a shorter term.

Croydon landlord licence fees

Selective licence: £800, made up of £480 Part A (on application, non-refundable if refused or withdrawn) and £320 Part B (once granted). A one-year selective licence, used where the council has concerns, is £544. Discounts: £50 off Part B for an EPC rated B or above, £100 off Part B for accredited landlords, and £100 off Part A for each additional flat in the same block applied for at the same time (the multi-dwelling discount).

Additional HMO licence: £1,250 (£750 Part A, £500 Part B), or £850 for a one-year licence. EPC B or above saves £50 and accreditation saves £100, both off Part B. Accepted schemes include LLAS, NRLA and UKALA, with membership discounts for ARLA, RICS and Safeagent. Discounts aren't applied if the council has made 2 requests for documents or served a warning letter for failing to license.

Councils usually split a licence fee into two parts: one paid when you apply, covering processing, and one paid before the licence is granted, covering running and enforcing the scheme. Where the council publishes the split, we show it above. Fees are reviewed regularly, so treat these as correct on the date we checked and confirm on the council's fee page before you pay.

Do I need a landlord licence in Croydon? A quick check

1. Count the people and households in the property.
2. If 5 or more people from 2 or more households share facilities, apply for a mandatory HMO licence.
3. If 3 or 4 people from 2 or more households share, apply for an additional HMO licence, wherever in Croydon it is.
4. If it's a single-household let in one of the 14 selective wards, apply for a selective licence.
5. If it's a single-household let in another ward, no property licence is needed.

People also ask about landlord licensing in Croydon

Do I need a landlord licence in Croydon? Yes if the property is a shared house anywhere in the borough, or a single-household let in one of the 14 selective wards.

When did Croydon selective licensing start? 25 September 2026. It was originally due on 1 September 2026.

How much is a Croydon selective licence? £800 (£480 plus £320), or £700 to £750 with one discount.

What every Croydon landlord must do, licence or not

A property licence doesn't replace the national rules; it adds to them. In Croydon, as everywhere in England, a landlord must also:

• get an annual gas safety check from a Gas Safe registered engineer and hand tenants the record;
• arrange an electrical installation condition report (EICR) at least every 5 years;
• let only with an EPC of band E or better, unless an exemption is registered;
• protect a tenancy deposit within 30 days in an approved scheme;
• provide working smoke alarms on each storey and carbon monoxide alarms where there's a fixed combustion appliance, other than a gas cooker;
• check every adult tenant's Right to Rent before the tenancy begins.

Licence applications in most councils ask you to upload the gas record, EICR and EPC, so having them in date before you apply saves a round of requests.

What happens if you let without the right licence in Croydon?

Councils treat unlicensed letting seriously. It's a criminal offence that can lead to prosecution and an unlimited fine, or a civil penalty of up to £40,000 per offence (the maximum rose from £30,000 on 1 May 2026). Tenants can also ask the First-tier Tribunal for a rent repayment order of up to 24 months' rent. Councils including Westminster, Brighton & Hove and Islington spell these figures out on their licensing pages. A duly made application is your protection, so don't wait for the council to find the property first.

Keeping to your licence conditions

Getting the licence is a one-off; keeping to its conditions lasts the life of the licence, which is usually up to 5 years. Conditions commonly require you to produce a current gas safety certificate on request, keep alarms in working order, supply electrical test results, and manage repairs and tenancy paperwork properly.

Gaffy is built for that ongoing part. You keep each property's gas certificate, EICR, EPC and licence in one vault with expiry dates, and Gaffy warns you before anything runs out. Tenants report repairs from a link that opens in their phone's browser, so every problem arrives with photos and a date, and you can show the council a clear repair log. It costs £12 a month for up to 5 properties and £4 a month for each additional property, with the first month free. We don't make licence applications for you.