Council licensing report

Landlord licensing in Croydon

Croydon runs at least one local property licensing scheme. Some rules apply to the whole council. Others apply only to listed streets, wards, or mapped areas, so the postcode alone does not always give a yes-or-no answer.

What landlords need to know

Status

Croydon

Selective

Additional HMO

Mandatory HMO (national)

Selective licensing: 1 active
Additional HMO licensing: 1 active
Mandatory HMO licensing: Applies nationally
Local scheme coverage: Listed streets or areas
Active local schemes: 2 active schemes
Last checked: 22 May 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 · 1 Sept 2026 to 31 Aug 2031

Coverage: Listed wards
Fee: £800

Croydon selective licensing applies to privately rented homes in selected wards from 1 September 2026 to 31 August 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 · 1 Sept 2026 to 31 Aug 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 1 September 2026 to 31 August 2031.

How each scheme is scoped in Croydon

A property licensing scheme is not the same everywhere. A council can designate the whole borough, a handful of wards, a list of streets, or a boundary drawn on a map. Whichever option Croydon chose changes how confident you can be from the postcode alone.

Croydon selective licensing 2026 to 2031

This scheme covers 14 named wards. The postcode confirms the council, but the address has to fall inside one of those wards before the licence applies.

Croydon additional HMO licensing 2026 to 2031

This scheme covers the whole of Croydon. Every privately rented property inside the council boundary is in scope.

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

Licence needed

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

May need a selective licence if the address sits inside Croydon's designated scheme area.

Couple renting a whole house

Licence needed

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

May need a selective licence if the address sits inside Croydon's designated scheme area.

Family renting a whole house

Licence needed

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

May need a selective licence if the address sits inside Croydon's designated scheme area.

Three sharers from different households

Licence needed

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

Needs an additional HMO licence anywhere in Croydon. Mandatory HMO licensing only kicks in at five or more occupiers, so this property is not in scope of the national rule.

Four sharers from different households

Licence needed

Four unrelated tenants sharing a kitchen and bathroom.

Needs an additional HMO licence anywhere in Croydon. Mandatory HMO licensing only kicks in at five or more occupiers, so this property is not in scope of the national rule.

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. Croydon's additional HMO scheme covers the whole council, so its conditions stack on top of the mandatory licence.

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.

Timing to watch in Croydon

The earliest active scheme starts on 1 Sept 2026. Tenancies that already exist on that date come under the licence automatically; new tenancies started after that date need a licence in place from day one.

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.

For conveyancing in Croydon, ask three things before exchange. First, is the property inside any current selective or additional HMO scheme area. Second, is there an active licence in the seller's name and on what conditions. Third, has the council issued a civil penalty, banning order or rent repayment order against the seller in the last six years.

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