Landlord licence Lambeth: what you need, where, and what it costs

Do you need a landlord licence in Lambeth? Almost certainly, unless your property is in Vauxhall or Waterloo & South Bank. Lambeth's selective licensing, rolled out in two phases in 2024 and 2025, covers every other ward. This page sets out every scheme Lambeth Council currently runs, the fees as published, and how Lambeth's rented housing compares with the rest of England and Wales, using Census 2021 figures. We last re-checked the council's pages on 21 October 2026.

Published 12 October 2026 · Updated 21 October 2026

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Lambeth landlord licensing at a glance

Scheme	In force?	Where it applies	Dates
Selective licensing	Yes	All wards except Vauxhall and Waterloo & South Bank	Phase 1 from 2 September 2024; phase 2 from 1 September 2025
Additional HMO licensing	Check with the council	Check with the council	n/a
Mandatory HMO licensing	Yes	All of England	Ongoing

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

How big is the private rented sector in Lambeth?

At the 2021 Census, 42,329 of Lambeth's 134,688 households rented privately. That's 31.4% of households, against 20.3% across England and Wales as a whole. By number of privately renting households, Lambeth ranked 16 of the 331 local authorities in England and Wales; by share it ranked 21. For comparison, 44,469 households (33.0%) owned their home and 45,243 (33.6%) rented socially.

Nearly a third of Lambeth households rent privately. Its two-phase selective scheme now reaches almost the whole borough, so licensing is a standard cost of letting in Lambeth.

Lambeth selective licensing phases

Phase 1 started on 2 September 2024 and phase 2 on 1 September 2025. Together they cover every ward except Vauxhall and Waterloo & South Bank.

Lambeth's 2026 fee

From 1 April 2026, Lambeth's selective licence fee is £1,025, paid as Part A of £717.50 and Part B of £307.50.

Checking an address on the Lambeth boundary

Vauxhall and Waterloo & South Bank sit next to wards that are covered, so properties near those boundaries are the ones most likely to be misjudged. Use the council's postcode or map checker on its selective licensing page rather than a ward name on a letting listing, and keep a screenshot of the result with your property records. If the council later disagrees, that dated record shows you checked in good faith.

Lambeth phase 1 and phase 2 at a glance

Phase 1 of Lambeth's selective scheme began on 2 September 2024 and phase 2 on 1 September 2025, and together they leave only Vauxhall and Waterloo & South Bank outside. Because the second phase arrived a year later, landlords who checked in 2024 and found themselves outside may now be inside. The £1,025 fee applies from 1 April 2026, split into £717.50 for administering the application and £307.50 for the rest. If you disagree with a licence condition, GOV.UK says you can appeal to the First-tier Tribunal.

Lambeth landlord licence fees

As published by the council: a selective licence is £1,025 from 1 April 2026 (Part A £717.50 plus Part B £307.50).

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

Count the people and households living in the property. A household is a single person, or members of the same family living together, including couples.
If 5 or more people from 2 or more households share a kitchen, bathroom or toilet, you need a mandatory HMO licence wherever you are in England.
For HMOs with 3 or 4 sharers, check directly with Lambeth Council.
If it's a single-household let anywhere in Lambeth except Vauxhall or Waterloo & South Bank, you need a selective licence.
If none of these apply, you don't need a property licence, but every other landlord duty (gas safety, electrical safety, EPC, deposit protection, smoke and carbon monoxide alarms) still does.

If a Lambeth let isn't licensed

Lambeth's phase 2 only began on 1 September 2025, so landlords in newly added wards may still be unlicensed. GOV.UK says renting out an unlicensed HMO can mean an unlimited fine, and councils can enforce over unlicensed selective-licensing homes, with tenants able to seek rent repayment orders. Unless the home is in Vauxhall or Waterloo & South Bank, apply now.

Conditions on a Lambeth licence

GOV.UK caps licences at 5 years. Lambeth splits its £1,025 fee into an administration part and a second part, and the licence comes with conditions. For HMOs, GOV.UK's standard conditions include an annual updated gas safety certificate sent to the council, working smoke alarms and electrical safety certificates on request.

Keeping Lambeth licence paperwork in order with Gaffy

Gaffy gives each Lambeth property a vault for its gas safety certificate, EICR and EPC, with expiry dates flagged early, and a repair link tenants open on their phone to report problems with photos. It's £12 a month for up to 5 properties, plus £4 a month for each extra property, with the first month free, and we'll set your properties up if you'd like. We don't apply for licences.

FAQ

Which Lambeth wards don't need a selective licence?

Vauxhall and Waterloo & South Bank.

How much is a Lambeth selective licence?

£1,025 from 1 April 2026 (£717.50 plus £307.50).

When did Lambeth phase 2 start?

1 September 2025.

Do Lambeth HMOs need a licence?

Large HMOs need a mandatory licence; check with the council for smaller ones.

Do I need a separate licence for each flat in Lambeth?

Selective licensing applies to each privately rented home, so a building with several separately let flats normally needs a licence for each one. Check the council's guidance on multi-dwelling applications.

What does the £1,025 Lambeth fee pay for?

It's split into Part A (£717.50) for administering the application and Part B (£307.50), effective from 1 April 2026.

How many people rent privately in Lambeth?

At the 2021 Census, 42,329 households in Lambeth rented privately, 31.4% of all households (ONS, Census 2021 table TS054).

Is this legal advice?

No. It's general information drawn from Lambeth Council's published pages, checked 21 October 2026. Schemes and fees in Lambeth can change, so confirm with the council before you let or apply.

Other landlord rules

Sources

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