News
Major changes announced to property licensing rules in Redbridge
New additional and selective licensing schemes have recently been confirmed in the London Borough of Redbridge.
Additional licensing
The council’s previous additional licensing scheme came into force on 13 April 2017 and ended on 12 April 2022.
The council held a public consultation from 13 December 2021 to 7 March 2022 on plans to implement a replacement scheme. The new borough wide additional licensing which extends licensing to most Houses in Multiple Occupation (HMOs) was approved on 30 May 2023 and comes into force on 18 September 2023.
The new scheme applies to most HMOs occupied by three or more people, plus certain buildings converted into flats (Section 257 HMOs) where all accommodation is privately rented and the building and accommodation units are effectively under the same ownership or control.
Selective licensing
The council’s previous first selective licensing scheme came into force on 13 July 2017 and ended on 12 July 2022. That scheme covered the old council wards of Clementswood and Valentines in the south of the borough.
The council held a public consultation from 1 November 2022 to 31 January 2023 on plans to implement a replacement scheme. A new selective licensing scheme covering all private rented properties in the new council wards of Valentines and Ilford Town was approved on 26 June 2023 and comes into force on 1 November 2023.
Meanwhile, the council’s second selective licensing scheme covering the old council wards of Goodmayes, Loxford, Snaresbrook, Roding, Newbury, Mayfield, Cranbrook, Seven Kings, Chadwell, Fairlop, Aldborough and Church End ends on 30 September 2023. It is not yet known whether the Secretary of State will grant approval for a replacement scheme. If they do, the council must give three months notice before a further licensing scheme is implemented.
The decision to implement two new licensing schemes, both with different start dates, risks adding further confusion for landlords and letting agents.
Increase in licence application fees
The upward trend in Redbridge licence application fees continues, with costs now significantly above the London average, based on research by London Property Licensing.
A mandatory HMO licence for a five person shared house costs £1,884, an increase of 9% since last year.
An additional licence for a four person shared house will cost £1,800 when the new scheme starts. HMO licence fees vary according to the number of households living in the property.
A selective licence for a single family property costs £735, an increase of 9% since last year. When the new scheme starts on 1 November 2023, the cost will increase again to £860, representing a further 17% increase.
Accredited landlords who apply for an additional or selective licence will be eligible for a small £35 discount.
Our free guide containing more information about property licensing and HMO planning restrictions in the London Borough of Redbridge is available here.
For all the latest news and events, you can sign up for the free London Property Licensing newsletter here.
