Selective licensing Redbridge: wards, fees and what you need

Landlord licence Redbridge at a glance

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

How big is the private rented sector in Redbridge?

At the 2021 Census, 31,576 of Redbridge's 103,714 households rented privately. That's 30.4% of households, well above the 20.3% average across England and Wales. By number of privately renting households, Redbridge ranked 36 of the 331 local authorities in England and Wales; by share it ranked 25. For comparison, 59,221 households (57.1%) owned their home and 11,707 (11.3%) rented socially.

Selective licensing in Redbridge

Selective licensing applies to all privately rented properties occupied by a single person, 2 people or a single household in the 17 wards listed. Wards not in either scheme, such as Bridge, Monkhams, Snaresbrook and Wanstead Park, don't need a selective licence. Holiday lets, business premises, social lets, university-owned student housing, empty properties and properties already holding an HMO licence are exempt.

If you're selling or ending the let, you may qualify for a free temporary exemption notice of up to 3 months, with evidence such as court papers or an estate agent's contract. You can apply for a second one before the first runs out, but no more than two.

What Redbridge asks for with a selective application

Redbridge requires a gas safety certificate for all gas appliances, an EICR, a portable appliance test certificate, an EPC rated A to E, floor plans showing fire exits and the positions of smoke alarms and heat detectors (these don't need an architect), and proof that you'll attend a landlord accreditation course from LLAS or a similar organisation within 18 months of the full licence. The council aims to process applications within 3 months, sends a draft licence, and waits 14 days before issuing the final licence.

Redbridge additional HMO licensing

The boroughwide additional scheme began on 18 September 2023 and runs to 17 September 2028. It covers HMOs occupied by 3 or more people forming 2 or more households that aren't licensed under the mandatory scheme. HMOs with 5 or more people need a mandatory licence.

Redbridge landlord licence fees

Selective licence, for applications submitted 1 April 2026 to 31 March 2027: £997.69, paid as £371.05 on application and £626.64 if successful (£591.64 for accredited landlords, a £35 discount). A paper application costs an extra £139.23. If you're unsure whether a property is up to standard, the council offers an inspection and report for £477.

Additional HMO licence: from £1,865.34 for a property with 2 households (£696.14 plus £1,169.20), rising with the number of households to £2,728.51 for 10 or more, according to the council's 2026/27 fees and charges. Accredited landlords get £35 off the second payment.

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 Redbridge? A quick check

1. Count the people and households living in the property.
2. If 5 or more people from 2 or more households share facilities, you need a mandatory HMO licence.
3. If 3 or 4 people from 2 or more households share, you need an additional HMO licence anywhere in Redbridge.
4. If 1 or 2 people or a single household live there, and it's in one of the 17 selective wards, you need a selective licence.
5. Check your EPC is band E or better. Redbridge won't approve a selective licence below that.

People also ask about landlord licensing in Redbridge

Do I need a landlord licence in Ilford? Yes. Ilford Town and Valentines are in Scheme 3, and neighbouring wards such as Loxford, Seven Kings and Goodmayes are in Scheme 4.

How much is a Redbridge selective licence? £997.69 for applications from 1 April 2026 to 31 March 2027, or £962.69 if accredited.

Which Redbridge wards don't need a selective licence? Any ward not listed in Scheme 3 or 4, such as Bridge, Monkhams, Snaresbrook and Wanstead Park.

What every Redbridge landlord must do, licence or not

Licensing sits on top of the duties every landlord in England already has. Whether or not your Redbridge property needs a licence, you still need to:

• have every gas appliance, flue and pipework checked by a Gas Safe registered engineer every 12 months, and give tenants a copy of the record;
• have the electrical installation inspected and tested at least every 5 years, and give tenants the report;
• hold a valid EPC rated E or above before you let, unless the property is exempt;
• protect any deposit in a government-approved scheme within 30 days and give the prescribed information;
• fit a smoke alarm on every storey used as living accommodation, and a carbon monoxide alarm in any room with a fixed combustion appliance (gas cookers excepted);
• carry out Right to Rent checks before a tenancy starts.

A council considering a licence application, or inspecting a licensed property, will usually ask to see evidence of the first four.

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

Letting a property that needs a licence without one is a criminal offence. Since 1 May 2026, councils can issue civil penalties of up to £40,000 per offence as an alternative to prosecution, and tenants can apply for a rent repayment order covering up to 24 months' rent; several councils, including Westminster, Brighton & Hove and Islington, now state these limits on their own pages. Prosecution can lead to an unlimited fine. The practical point: once a valid application is in, you're treated as having applied, so apply as soon as you know a licence is needed.

Keeping to your licence conditions

A licence normally lasts up to 5 years, and councils attach conditions to it: typically that you send an updated gas safety certificate when asked, keep smoke alarms working, provide electrical safety certificates, and deal with repairs properly. Keeping on top of those conditions is mostly a matter of records.

That's the part Gaffy helps with. Each property gets a vault where you store the gas safety certificate, EICR and EPC with their expiry dates, and Gaffy flags anything expired or expiring soon, so the certificate a licence condition asks for doesn't lapse. Tenants report repairs through a link in their phone's browser, with photos, which gives you a dated repair history if the council asks. Gaffy is £12 a month for up to 5 properties, plus £4 a month for each extra property, and the first month is free. We don't apply for licences on your behalf.