There are currently three licensing schemes operating in Redbridge. We will help you choose the right licence for your property.
1. Mandatory HMO licence
You will need a mandatory HMO licence if your property meets the standard test, self-contained flat test or converted building test HMO definition in section 254 of the Housing Act 2004 and is occupied by five or more people.
But what are these tests and what does this mean in practice? It means you need a licence for any house or flat that is occupied by five or more people who are not all related and live in the property as their main home. For example, it includes:
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Shared houses and flats occupied by students and young professionals;
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Properties converted into bedsits with some shared facilities; and
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Properties converted into a mixture of self-contained and non self-contained accommodation.
Prior to 1 October 2018, the mandatory HMO licensing scheme only applied to properties that were three or more storeys in height, but that restriction has now been lifted.
The government have decided to exclude purpose built self-contained flats within a block comprising three or more self-contained flats from the mandatory HMO licensing scheme. While this will be good news for some landlords, it does make the licensing scheme far more complicated.
To find out more, you can read our free guide to mandatory HMO licensing (here).
2. Additional licence
You will need an additional licence if your property is let as a House in Multiple Occupation that falls outside the remit of mandatory HMO licensing.
The additional licensing scheme came into force on 18 September 2023 and continues for five years. You can view the public notice in the 'More Information' box on the top right of this page.
The House in Multiple Occupation definition is not straightforward and you need to study it carefully. For example, Redbridge Council have included ‘section 257 HMOs’ within the additional licensing scheme. These are properties that:
a) have been converted into self-contained flats; and
b) less than two thirds of the flats are owner occupied; and
c) the conversion did not comply with the relevant Building Regulations in force at that time and still does not comply.
The council only include section 257 HMOs where all units of accommodation are privately rented and the building and all the units it contains are in the same ownership or control or considered by the housing authority to be effectively under the same ownership or control.
To find out more, you can read our free guide to additional licensing (here).
3. Selective Licence
A new selective licensing scheme covering the council wards of Valentines and Ilford Town came into force on 1 November 2023 and will continue for five years. You can view the public notice in the 'More Information' box on the top right of this page.
A licence is required if your property (house or flat) is let out to a single household or two unrelated sharers in these two wards. Redbridge Council have an interactive map to check if you property is within the selective licensing area (here).
There was previously a selective licensing scheme covering the old council wards of Goodmayes, Loxford, Snaresbrook, Roding, Newbury, Mayfield, Cranbrook, Seven Kings, Chadwell, Fairlop, Aldborough and Church End, but that ended 30 September 2023.
To find out more, you can read our free guide to selective licensing (here).