Council licensing report

Landlord licensing in Croydon

Croydon has no active local scheme listed. A confirmed or proposed scheme is tracked below, but it does not require a licence until it starts.

What landlords need to know

Status

Croydon

Mandatory HMO (national)

Selective licensing: 1 active
Additional HMO licensing: 1 active
Mandatory HMO licensing: Applies nationally
Local scheme coverage: Council check only
Active local schemes: None listed
Last checked: 18 Sept 2026

Selective licensing in Croydon

Who is covered, fees, dates and exemptions.

HMO licensing in Croydon

Mandatory and additional HMO rules with thresholds.

Check a postcode and address in Croydon

Enter the postcode to confirm the council, then pick the address. If a scheme uses a street list, we check the selected street against it and give a direct yes or no.

Local schemes in Croydon

Croydon selective licensing 2026 to 2031

Selective licensing · confirmed · Listed wards · 25 Sept 2026 to 1 Sept 2031

Coverage: Listed wards
Fee: £800

Croydon selective licensing applies to privately rented homes in selected wards from 25 September 2026. The designation notice states it ceases to have effect on 1 September 2031.

Show the 14 wards covered by this scheme

Addiscombe East, Addiscombe West, Bensham Manor, Broad Green, Fairfield, Norbury and Pollards Hill, Norbury Park, Selhurst, South Croydon, South Norwood, Thornton Heath, Waddon, West Thornton, Woodside.

Croydon additional HMO licensing 2026 to 2031

Additional HMO licensing · confirmed · Whole council area · 25 Sept 2026 to 1 Sept 2031

Coverage: Whole council area
Fee: £1,250

Croydon additional HMO licensing applies borough-wide to smaller HMOs occupied by three or more people comprising two or more households from 25 September 2026. The designation notice states it ceases to have effect on 1 September 2031.

Common rental setups in Croydon

The right licence depends on who lives in the property, how the household is structured, and where the property sits in the council area. These are the situations we see most often, with what Croydon's current rules say about each.

Single tenant in a flat or studio

No licence needed

One adult renting a self-contained flat or a studio with their own kitchen and bathroom.

No landlord licence is needed under current Croydon rules. Mandatory HMO licensing does not apply because this is one household.

Couple renting a whole house

No licence needed

Two people from one household renting an entire house on one tenancy.

No landlord licence is needed under current Croydon rules. Mandatory HMO licensing does not apply because this is one household.

Family renting a whole house

No licence needed

Parents and dependent children from one household renting an entire house.

No landlord licence is needed under current Croydon rules. Mandatory HMO licensing does not apply because this is one household.

Three sharers from different households

Worth confirming

Three friends or three unrelated tenants on a joint tenancy, sharing a kitchen and bathroom.

This is a small HMO under the section 254 definition, but it does not need a mandatory licence and Croydon does not currently licence smaller HMOs. Standard HMO management rules and fire-safety duties still apply.

Four sharers from different households

Worth confirming

Four unrelated tenants sharing a kitchen and bathroom.

Five or more sharers from different households

Licence needed

Five or more unrelated tenants sharing a kitchen and bathroom.

Needs a mandatory HMO licence anywhere in England. The five-or-more, two-or-more-households test is national, not council-specific. An additional HMO licence is not also required.

Lodger with a live-in landlord

No licence needed

Owner-occupier letting a room to one or two lodgers in their own home.

Letting to a lodger while you live in the property is exempt from HMO licensing in most cases. Selective licensing exemptions also normally cover owner-occupier lets.

Student house of five

Licence needed

Five students from at least two households sharing a converted house.

Needs a mandatory HMO licence anywhere in England. The five-or-more, two-or-more-households test is national, not council-specific. An additional HMO licence is not also required.

Buying a property in Croydon

A property licence does not transfer when a property changes hands. If you buy a let property that needs a licence under Croydon's rules, the existing licence ends and you need to apply for a new one in your own name. The seller's solicitor should disclose any existing licence and any open enforcement notices.

Croydon does not currently run a selective or additional HMO scheme, so a single-let purchase usually does not need a licence. A larger HMO purchase can still need a mandatory HMO licence. Apply before the property becomes licensable.

Owner-occupiers buying to live in the property do not need a licence. The rules only apply when a property is rented out.

Talk to Croydon directly

Anything on this page that you cannot find an answer to, the council's licensing team can confirm in minutes.

Email the licensing team

[email protected]

Phone the licensing team

020 8760 5476

Apply for a licence

Application form on Croydon's website

Public licence register

Search licensed properties in Croydon

Official licensing page

Croydon council guidance

Council postcode checker

Croydon's own street or postcode lookup