Landlord licence Wandsworth: what you need, where, and what it costs
Do you need a landlord licence in Wandsworth? Yes, if your property is an HMO anywhere in the borough, or a single-household let in Furzedown, Tooting Bec, Tooting Broadway, South Balham, East Putney, West Putney or Northcote. This page sets out every scheme Wandsworth Borough Council currently runs, the fees as published, and how Wandsworth'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.
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Wandsworth landlord licensing at a glance
| Scheme | In force? | Where it applies | Dates |
|---|---|---|---|
| Selective licensing, designation 1 | Yes | Furzedown; Tooting Bec; Tooting Broadway; South Balham | 1 July 2025 to 30 June 2030 |
| Selective licensing, designation 2 | Yes | East Putney; West Putney; Northcote | 1 April 2026 to 31 March 2031 |
| Additional HMO licensing | Yes | Boroughwide | From 1 July 2025 |
| Mandatory HMO licensing | Yes | All of England | Ongoing |
Sources: Wandsworth Borough Council pages listed under Sources, checked 21 October 2026.
How big is the private rented sector in Wandsworth?
At the 2021 Census, 49,830 of Wandsworth's 137,392 households rented privately. That's 36.3% of households, against 20.3% across England and Wales as a whole. By number of privately renting households, Wandsworth ranked 6 of the 331 local authorities in England and Wales; by share it ranked 8. For comparison, 58,325 households (42.5%) owned their home and 26,544 (19.3%) rented socially.
More than a third of Wandsworth households rent privately, and it has the most privately renting households of any London borough at the 2021 Census. Its licensing arrived in two phases during 2025 and 2026, so landlords who checked a year ago may now be inside a designated ward.
Wandsworth selective licensing wards
Designation 1 came into force on 1 July 2025 and covers Furzedown, Tooting Bec, Tooting Broadway and South Balham until 30 June 2030. Designation 2 came into force on 1 April 2026 and covers East Putney, West Putney and Northcote until 31 March 2031. In these wards, private rented homes not covered by HMO licensing need a selective licence.
Wandsworth additional HMO licensing
From 1 July 2025, additional licensing applies across the borough to HMOs not already covered by mandatory licensing. The council says this includes an HMO let to a maximum of four people with shared bathrooms or kitchens, and flats in multiple occupation in a purpose-built block with three or more flats.
Which Wandsworth fee figure to trust
Wandsworth's property licensing FAQ page still quotes a selective fee of £850 and an additional HMO fee of £1,450, figures from when the schemes were proposed. The council's dedicated fees and discounts page shows the current amounts of £885 and £1,507, split into Part A and Part B. Use the fees page when budgeting. Remember too that GOV.UK requires a separate licence for each HMO you run, and that the additional scheme in Wandsworth reaches flats in multiple occupation inside purpose-built blocks of three or more flats, which surprises some landlords who assume blocks are exempt. If you disagree with a condition the council attaches, GOV.UK says you can appeal to the First-tier Tribunal.
Wandsworth landlord licence fees
As published on the council's fees page: a selective licence is £885 (£529 Part A plus £356 Part B) and an additional HMO licence is £1,507 (£903 plus £604). The council also lists discounts on its fees page.
Do I need a landlord licence in Wandsworth? 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.
- If up to 4 people from 2 or more households share facilities anywhere in Wandsworth, or it's a flat in multiple occupation in a purpose-built block of 3 or more flats, you need an additional HMO licence.
- If it's a single-household let in Furzedown, Tooting Bec, Tooting Broadway, South Balham, East Putney, West Putney or Northcote, 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.
Letting in Wandsworth without a licence
With Putney and Northcote added only in April 2026, Wandsworth landlords who checked last year may now need a licence they don't have. GOV.UK says an unlicensed HMO can attract an unlimited fine, and councils can enforce against unlicensed selective-licensing homes, with tenants able to seek rent repayment orders. If your property is in East Putney, West Putney or Northcote, apply now.
Conditions on a Wandsworth licence
Designation 1 licences end by 30 June 2030 and designation 2 licences by 31 March 2031, and GOV.UK limits every licence to 5 years. Wandsworth adds its own conditions to the national ones. For HMOs, GOV.UK's standard conditions include giving the council an updated gas safety certificate annually, keeping smoke alarms working and producing electrical safety certificates on request.
Keeping Wandsworth licence paperwork in order with Gaffy
For Wandsworth landlords juggling Tooting, Balham or Putney lets, Gaffy keeps each property's gas safety certificate, EICR and EPC together with expiry dates flagged ahead of time. Tenants report repairs via a phone link with photos, so there's always a dated record. 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 on request. We don't apply for licences.
FAQ
Which Wandsworth wards have selective licensing?
Furzedown, Tooting Bec, Tooting Broadway and South Balham since 1 July 2025, plus East Putney, West Putney and Northcote since 1 April 2026.
How much is a Wandsworth selective licence?
£885 (£529 plus £356), as published by the council.
How much is an additional HMO licence in Wandsworth?
£1,507 (£903 plus £604).
Does Putney need a landlord licence?
East Putney and West Putney have been in selective licensing designation 2 since 1 April 2026.
How many people rent privately in Wandsworth?
At the 2021 Census, 49,830 households in Wandsworth rented privately, 36.3% of all households (ONS, Census 2021 table TS054).
Is this legal advice?
No. It's general information drawn from Wandsworth Borough Council's published pages, checked 21 October 2026. Schemes and fees in Wandsworth can change, so confirm with the council before you let or apply.
Other landlord rules
- Gas Safety Certificate for Landlords: Rules, Cost and Renewal
- EICR for Landlords: When You Need One, How Often and What C1, C2, C3 and FI Mean
- Landlord Compliance Checklist UK 2026 (Free Printable PDF)
- EPC Rules for Landlords in England and Wales: Minimum Rating, Expiry and Penalties
- Deposit Protection for Landlords: The 30-Day Rule and Prescribed Information
- Pricing
- Gas safety certificate expiry calculator
Sources
- Wandsworth Borough Council, check if you need a property licence
- Wandsworth Borough Council, property licence fees and discounts
- Wandsworth, selective licensing designation 1 notice
- Wandsworth, selective licensing designation 2 notice
- Wandsworth Borough Council, property licensing FAQ
- ONS, Census 2021, TS054 Tenure, via Nomis
- GOV.UK, House in multiple occupation licence
- GOV.UK, Selective licensing in the private rented sector: a guide for local authorities
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