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Unexpected delay to Croydon Council’s additional and selective licensing schemes
Croydon Council has postponed the launch of its additional and selective landlord licensing schemes shortly before they were due to come into force, leaving landlords and managing agents unable to submit licence applications until later this month.
On 25 March 2026, Croydon Council designated a borough-wide additional licensing scheme and a selective licensing scheme covering fourteen council wards. Both schemes were due to start today (1 September 2026) and continue for five years.
By July 2026, Croydon Council had concerns that it would not be ready to implement the schemes on time. As a result, council officers explored options to delay scheme implementation.
The decision to delay
On 9 July 2026, Croydon Council’s Regeneration Lead in consultation with the Statutory Deputy Mayor & Cabinet Member for Homes decided to reschedule the start dates of the additional and selective licensing schemes from 1 September to 25 September 2026. London Property Licensing recently learnt of this decision.
The council has updated its website to confirm that licence applications will not be accepted until 25 September 2026 and warns against attempting to apply before that date.
A short notice of the decision to delay has been published:
As a result of the delay, landlords will be unable to submit licence applications until 25 September 2026 despite the schemes having originally been scheduled to commence on 1 September 2026.
Varying a licensing scheme designation
Whether a local authority has the legal power to amend the commencement date of a licensing designation after it has been made is an issue that could ultimately only be determined by a court or tribunal.
The difficulty is that the legislation lacks any provision to vary a scheme designation. The only power in the Housing Act 2004 is to revoke a scheme designation.
We understand Croydon Council’s intention is to alter the start date of both schemes without changing their expiry date. The additional and selective licensing schemes will now operate from 25 September 2026 to 31 August 2031.
London Property Licensing has contacted Croydon Council for comment on the reasons for the delay and the legal basis for varying the commencement date of the licensing schemes.
Richard Tacagni, MD, London Property Licensing commented:
“The situation in Croydon highlights the risk of implementing a licensing scheme before all the building blocks are in place. It risks causing confusion and uncertainty.
“To remain compliant, landlords and managing agents must submit licence applications by the date the licensing scheme starts. For this reason, I recommend all councils open the application process three months earlier. In this case, landlords are unable to apply before the licensing schemes start.
“With civil financial penalties recently increased up to £40,000 and Rent Repayment Orders covering up to two years rent, it is vital that councils provide clear, simple and timely communication to support regulatory compliance.”
Our free guide containing information about property licensing and HMO planning rules in Croydon is available here.
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