Steep rise in Enfield property licensing fees

Friday, September 1st, 2023 - London Property Licensing

Research by London Property Licensing has identified a steep rise in property licensing fees in the London Borough of Enfield.

When Enfield Council’s borough wide additional licensing scheme was implemented in September 2020, landlords were charged a fixed fee of £900 per property to license their properties. These are predominantly shared houses, shared flats and bedsit-HMOs occupied by three or four people.

In the last 12 months, the additional licence application fee has leapt by almost a third to £1,170 (was £900) per property.

Mandatory HMO and selective licensing fees have also increased, but not as steeply.

The fee to license an HMO with five lettable rooms is now £1,347.80, up from £1,100, an increase of 22.5%.

The fee to license a house or flat occupied by a single household is now £673.80, up from £600, an increase of 12.3%.

Richard Tacagni, MD, London Property Licensing commented:

“Research recently published by London Councils showed a 41% reduction in the number of London properties available for private rent since the Covid-19 pandemic. A steep rise in licence application fees could exacerbate the dwindling supply of private rented accommodation.

“Now more than ever, councils should seek out efficiency savings to reduce costs associated with operating their property licensing schemes. Unless the upward trajectory of fees is moderated, central government may need to step in and place a cap on property licensing fees.” 

Our free guide containing more information about property licensing and HMO planning restrictions in the London Borough of Enfield is available here.

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