News

Camden Council extend additional landlord licensing scheme until 2030

Monday, August 11th, 2025 - Camden Council

Camden Council has extended its additional landlord licensing scheme for a further five years until December 2030.

Since the additional licensing scheme was first introduced in 2015, the council say it has helped improve standards in the private rented sector by ensuring safer, better-managed shared housing.

The decision follows a 10-week public consultation that showed strong support from residents and tenants for the scheme’s renewal. The consultation received over 800 responses. According to the council, 58% of respondents supported scheme renewal, including three quarters of private tenants.

A recent review found that 94% of licensed HMOs in Camden required some work to meet suitable living standards, with the most common improvements relating to fire and electrical safety, damp and mould prevention, and cooking and washing facilities.

In 80% of cases the landlord had commenced or completed the works that were required to bring their property up to standard.

Where landlords evade the licensing scheme or fail to comply with licence conditions, Camden Council has an active housing enforcement programme. Since additional licensing started in 2015, over 200 civil financial penalties have been issued and over £300,000 awarded in court fines following successful prosecutions.

Councillor Sagal Abdi-Wali, Cabinet Member for Better Homes at Camden said:

“Everyone deserves a safe place to call home. With over a third of households in our borough privately renting, it’s crucial that we are able to help ensure that these homes meet decent standards of safety and management.

“Renewing our additional HMO licensing scheme means we can keep improving housing conditions, hold landlords to account, and protect the thousands of residents living in shared housing in Camden. Though, this isn’t just about enforcement – it’s about fairness, safety, and making sure everyone has a decent home.”

In Camden, private landlords are required to apply for a licence if they rent out a House in Multiple Occupation (HMO). This includes shared houses and flat shares, student housing, bedsits, and some buildings converted into flats.

Whereas mandatory HMO licensing includes most HMOs occupied by five or more people, the additional licensing scheme extends licensing to HMOs occupied by three or four people, all multi-occupied flats in purpose-built blocks and most so-called ‘section 257 HMOs’.

Changes to the scheme following the consultation include two-year licences for landlords where there are concerns about management or property condition and new conditions on waste management responsibilities.

Camden’s new additional licensing scheme comes into force on 8 December 2025.

Our free guide containing more information about property licensing and HMO planning restrictions in Camden is available here.