Wandsworth Additional and Selective Licensing Consultation Event – 10 September 2024

Tuesday, September 10th, 2024 - Wandsworth Council

Date: Tuesday 10 September 2024, 6.30pm to 8.30pm

About: Wandsworth Council has launched a consultation on plans to implement two new property licensing schemes.

In Wandsworth, 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. That is currently the only licensing scheme.

The council are consulting on plans to implement new additional and selective licensing schemes in the borough.

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 

Wandsworth Council are proposing a new borough wide additional licensing scheme. 

The scheme would extend licensing to most HMOs that fall outside the remit of mandatory HMO licensing. This will include shared houses, flats and bedsit HMOs occupied by three or four people, plus all multi-occupied flats in purpose built blocks of flats.

The council are proposing to exclude section 257 HMOs from 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 

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

The selective licensing scheme would be split into two phases:

Phase 1 would cover the council wards of Furzedown, South Balham, Tooting Bec and Tooting Broadway. 

Phase 2 would cover the council wards of East Putney, West Putney and Northcote. This second phase would be subject to approval by the Secretary of State in the Ministry of Housing Communities and Local Government (MHCLG). 

The intention is that both the additional and selective licensing schemes would run for a period of five years.

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

Public meetings

An online public meeting has been arranged to discuss the proposals on Tuesday 10 September, 6.30pm to 8.30pm (book here).

A second online meeting is taking place on Wednesday 18 September, 6.30pm to 8.30pm (book 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 consult@wandsworth.gov.uk, or phone 020 8454 3025.

The consultation closes on Monday 14 October 2024.

Our free guide containing more information about the current property licensing schemes in Wandsworth is available here.