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Greenwich Council launch consultation on expanding their selective licensing scheme

Thursday, July 23rd, 2026 - Greenwich Council

On 21 July 2026, Greenwich Council launched a selective licensing consultation to help improve private rented homes in the borough.

Greenwich Council’s current selective licensing scheme was implemented in October 2022 and covers parts of Plumstead, Glyndon, Shooters Hill, Woolwich Common and Woolwich Riverside council wards based on pre‑2023 ward boundaries.

The council say that selective licensing is a useful tool that requires private landlords who rent a property to a single household or two unrelated sharers to obtain a licence. This helps to ensure private properties are safe, secure and well-maintained and makes it easier for the council to identify and address poor housing conditions.

When a property is licensed, the council can carry out regular inspections to identify any potential hazards, like damp, mould and fire safety. Poor property management can also contribute to wider neighbourhood problems, including noise, waste issues, and antisocial behaviour.

The council say they work with landlords to resolve these issues. Since the beginning of 2025, they have inspected 622 licensed properties and helped landlords resolve 2,103 hazards.

Proposed areas subject to selective licensing

The council is proposing the new scheme is extended to cover seventeen council wards plus part of Woolwich Arsenal. The council wards being proposed for selective licensing are:

Designation 1: Abbey Wood, Charlton Village and Riverside, Plumstead and Glyndon, Thamesmead Moorings, Woolwich Common, Woolwich Dockyard, and the southern part of Woolwich Arsenal.
Designation 2: Blackheath Westcombe, Charlton Hornfair, East Greenwich, Eltham Town and Avery Hill, Greenwich Park, Kidbrooke Park, Plumstead Common, Shooters Hill, West Thamesmead.
Designation 3: Eltham Page, Middle Park and Horn Park.

According to the council, since selective licensing was introduced in 2022, it has helped to improved safety standards, reduced hazards, and reduce property related anti-social behaviour. The new scheme would cover 70% of the borough.

Councillor Joshua Ayodele, Greenwich Cabinet Member for Community Safety & Integrated Enforcement, said:

“We believe residents who rent privately should live in safe, well-managed and high-quality homes. Unfortunately, this is not always the case. A recent review has identified 12 additional wards we believe should be covered by the selective licensing scheme. While most landlords provide good quality homes, evidence shows a proportion of properties in the proposed areas are poorly maintained or badly managed.

“Your views and experiences will help refine our proposal to ensure responsible landlords are supported, every renter can feel proud of their home, and rogue or criminal landlords and agents are identified and removed from the sector. This consultation is on top of other work we are doing around HMOs (houses in multiple occupation) as part of our wider goal to ensure all private properties are safe to live in and neighbourhoods are supported.”

More information about the selective licensing consultation and how to take part can be found on the council’s website.

The consultation started on 21 July and continues until Monday 12 October 2026.

Our free guide containing information about property licensing and HMO planning rules in Greenwich is available here.