Havering Additional and Selective Licensing Consultation – 14 April to 6 July 2025

Monday, April 14th, 2025 - Havering Council

Date: Monday 14 April to 6 July 2025

About: Havering Council has launched a consultation on plans to renew and extend their additional and selective licensing schemes.

In Havering, Houses in Multiple Occupation (HMOs) need to be licensed if they are occupied by five or more people and fall within the mandatory HMO licensing scheme. 

Most smaller HMOs need to be licensed under the council’s additional licensing scheme in the council wards of Cranham, Emerson Park, Hacton, Hylands, Saint Andrews and Upminster.

The council also has a selective licensing scheme that extends licensing to all private rented properties in the Brooklands and Romford Town council wards.

The council are consulting on proposed new additional and selective licensing schemes, as summarised below.

Before making a decision, the council wants to hear from tenants, landlords, managing agents, residents, business owners, community organisations and anyone else who may be affected by the proposed schemes.

Proposed additional licensing scheme 

Havering Council are proposing a new borough wide additional licensing scheme to be implemented when the current scheme ends on 24 January 2026. 

The scheme would extend licensing to all HMOs that fall outside the remit of mandatory HMO licensing. This will include HMOs occupied by three or four people and multi-occupied flats in purpose build blocks of flats where the block comprises three or more flats. 

The council are proposing to include section 257 HMOs within the scheme. These are properties that have been converted into flats where less than two thirds of the flats are owner occupied and the conversion into flats does not comply with the relevant building regulations.

Proposed selective licensing scheme 

Havering Council are proposing a new selective licensing scheme that would extend licensing to all private rented accommodation occupied by a single household or two unrelated sharers in seven council wards.

The council wards being proposed for selective licensing are Beam Park, Harold Park, Rainham & Wennington, Rush Green & Crowlands, Squirrels Health, St Albans and St Edwards. 

You can find out more information about the business case for the new licensing scheme, and what the schemes entail, on the council’s website.

Public meetings

The proposals will be discussed at online public meetings being held on Wednesday 14 May 6.30pm to 8pm (register here) and Wednesday 18 June 6.30pm to 8pm (register here). 

Share your views

Once you have studied the proposals, you can complete the proposed property licensing scheme questionnaire on the council’s website.

If you have any queries or need to request a paper questionnaire or any other format, please email prsconsultation@havering.gov.uk. Paper copies of the questionnaire can also be requested by calling 01708 433 890 or visiting a local library.

The consultation closes on 6 July 2025.

The London Property Licensing free guide containing more information about the current property licensing schemes in Havering is available here.