Which Croydon properties need an Additional HMO licence?

The designation applies borough-wide to houses in multiple occupation occupied by 3 or more persons comprising 2 or more households, where the property is not already required to hold a mandatory HMO licence. Properties with 5 or more occupants in 2 or more households continue to need a mandatory HMO licence instead.

What does a Croydon Additional HMO licence cost?

Croydon charges £1,250 for a five-year Additional HMO licence, split into Part A of £750 payable on submission and Part B of £500 payable on grant. Part A is not refunded if the application is refused, rejected or withdrawn. A £50 reduction applies where the property holds an EPC rating of B or above, and a £100 reduction where the landlord is accredited with LLAS, NRLA or UKALA.

What documents does Croydon require with an HMO licence application?

Croydon's application page lists a floor plan showing all floor levels, windows, doors, stairs, room uses and room sizes in square metres, an Electrical Installation Condition Report, a current gas safety certificate where there is a gas supply, a fire alarm test certificate, an emergency lighting test certificate where applicable, a fire safety risk assessment, a planning certificate or approval, a building control completion certificate and proof of the licence holder's address.

What is the penalty for operating an unlicensed HMO in Croydon?

The maximum civil penalty for operating an unlicensed HMO is £40,000, raised from £30,000 by the Renters' Rights Act 2025 with effect from 1 May 2026. A Rent Repayment Order may require repayment of up to 24 months of rent for offences committed from 1 May 2026. Breach of a licence condition carries a fine of up to £5,000 per breach on summary conviction.

Do Croydon's room size standards differ from the national minimums?

Yes. The national statutory minimum for a sleeping room used by one person aged 10 or over is 6.51 square metres. Croydon's published HMO standards require 10 square metres for a single-room letting with a shared kitchen, 12.5 square metres where the room has ensuite facilities and 13.5 square metres where the room contains kitchen facilities. A room that meets the national minimum may still fail Croydon's standard.

London Borough of Croydon

Croydon HMO licensing is now in force — every document, one visit

Q: When does Croydon's Additional HMO Licensing scheme start?

Croydon Council states that the Additional HMO and Selective licensing schemes came into force on 25 September 2026. Licences are granted for up to 5 years.

The Additional HMO Licensing scheme applies across the whole borough. We provide all seven documents Croydon’s licensing team asks for — floor plan, EICR, gas safety, fire alarm test, emergency lighting test, fire risk assessment and EPC — from one appointment, with reports usually issued within 24 hours.

Serving landlords, agents & property managers across all 28 Croydon wards

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Now in force

Both schemes came into force on 25 September 2026

Croydon Council states that on 25 September 2026 two new licensing schemes came into force: Selective Licensing for single-family properties in 14 wards, and Additional HMO Licensing for HMOs of 3 or 4 people borough-wide. It is now a legal requirement to hold the relevant licence for any qualifying property, in addition to the mandatory HMO licence for 5 or more people.

Earlier in 2026 some documents gave a start date of 1 September 2026. The council has since confirmed 25 September 2026. If you are not yet licensed, apply now rather than waiting.

Source: Croydon Council, About our new housing licensing schemes.

What is changing

Two schemes, both running for five years

	Additional HMO licence	Selective licence
Area	Borough-wide, all 28 wards	14 designated wards
Applies to	HMOs occupied by 3 or more persons comprising 2 or more households	All privately rented homes, including single households
Fee	£1,250	£800
Term	5 years	5 years

Properties occupied by 5 or more people in 2 or more households already require a mandatory HMO licence, and that requirement continues everywhere. A property already holding a mandatory licence does not need an additional or selective licence as well.

The 14 selective licensing wards

Addiscombe EastAddiscombe WestBensham ManorBroad GreenFairfieldNorbury and Pollards HillNorbury ParkSelhurstSouth CroydonSouth NorwoodThornton HeathWaddonWest ThorntonWoodside

The application

Seven documents Croydon asks to see

Croydon’s application page lists the documents below. Most providers supply three or four of them. We cover all seven from a single visit, so there is one appointment to arrange with tenants rather than several.

Document	What it must show
Floor plan	Every floor level, windows, doors, stairs, room uses and room sizes in square metres
EICR	Current Electrical Installation Condition Report covering every circuit and consumer unit
Gas safety certificate	Current certificate where the property has a gas supply
Fire alarm test certificate	Current test certificate for the installed detection system
Emergency lighting test certificate	Current certificate where emergency lighting is fitted
Fire risk assessment	Written assessment under the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005
EPC	Whole-building energy performance certificate

Croydon also asks for a planning certificate or approval, a building control completion certificate and proof of the licence holder’s address. Whether those are required in every case, or only where relevant works or a change of use have taken place, is not stated on the published page — we have asked the council to clarify.

Pricing

Croydon Licence Pack — priced by room count

Up to 4 lettable rooms

£745

All seven documents, one visit

5–6 lettable rooms

£895

All seven documents, one visit

7 or more lettable rooms

£1,045

All seven documents, one visit

Prices are confirmed in writing before any visit is booked. Bought individually the same seven documents come to around £895. Managing three or more properties? Ask about portfolio pricing.

Often added

Service	Price	Why
Legionella risk assessment	£225	Separate landlord duty under HSE ACOP L8, not part of the licence application
Asbestos management survey	£275	Common parts of pre-2000 conversions
Fire door certificate	£165	Where fire doors are fitted to escape routes
PAT testing	£95	Appliances supplied by the landlord
Fire extinguisher testing	£95	Annual service of provided extinguishers
Express 24-hour turnaround	+£95	Where an application deadline is close

Worth knowing

Croydon’s room standards are larger than the national minimums

A room can satisfy the national statutory minimum and still fail Croydon’s own published HMO standards. This is the most common reason a property is licensed for fewer occupants than the landlord expected.

Arrangement	Croydon standard	National minimum
Single-room letting, shared kitchen	10 m²	6.51 m²
Room with ensuite, cooking elsewhere	12.5 m²	6.51 m²
Room containing kitchen facilities	13.5 m²	6.51 m²
Shared house, separate kitchen and living room	6.5 m²	6.51 m²

Croydon also applies a minimum floor-to-ceiling height of 2.3 m in habitable rooms, 2.14 m over at least 75% of an existing attic room, a maximum of two sleepers per bedroom, and one shared kitchen for no more than five people. Floor area beneath a ceiling height of 1.53 m is disregarded.

If you are unsure whether a room will support the occupancy you are applying for, say so on the form. It is far cheaper to measure before submitting than to be refused after paying.

Fees and penalties

What Croydon charges, and what it costs to get it wrong

Item	Amount	Notes
Part A — on submission	£750	Not refunded if the application is refused, rejected or withdrawn
Part B — on grant	£500	Payable once the council decides to grant the licence
Total, five-year licence	£1,250
EPC rating B or above	−£50	Reduction applied to Part B
Accredited landlord (LLAS, NRLA, UKALA)	−£100	Reduction applied to Part B

Both reductions are withdrawn where Croydon has had to request additional supporting documents twice, or has served a warning letter for failure to licence. Submitting a complete application first time is worth up to £150 in cash, before counting the delay.

The public notice understates the penalty Check this

Croydon’s designation, signed on 25 March 2026, states a financial penalty of up to £30,000 and a Rent Repayment Order of up to 12 months’ rent.

Both figures were superseded six weeks later. The Renters’ Rights Act 2025 raised the maximum civil penalty to £40,000 and extended Rent Repayment Orders to 24 months for offences committed from 1 May 2026. Because the schemes came into force on 25 September 2026, every offence under them falls under the higher figures.

Breach of a licence condition carries a separate fine of up to £5,000 per breach on summary conviction. Relevant offences are also added to the Greater London Authority Rogue Landlord and Agent Register.

How it works

From enquiry to licence-ready file in four steps

Tell us about the property

Postcode, room count and whether there is a gas supply. Call, WhatsApp or use the form.

Fixed quote, same day

We confirm the price and the earliest available visit in writing before you commit.

One visit

Qualified, insured engineers attend together where possible, so tenants are disturbed once.

Your licence file

All documents emailed together, usually within 24 hours of the visit, formatted to attach to the application.

Questions

Croydon HMO licensing FAQs

When did the scheme start?

Croydon Council states that both the Additional HMO and Selective licensing schemes came into force on 25 September 2026. Licences are granted for up to 5 years. If you have not yet applied, do so now: operating a qualifying property without a licence is an offence.

Does my property need an Additional HMO licence?

If it is occupied by 3 or more persons forming 2 or more households and does not already require a mandatory HMO licence, yes — anywhere in the borough. Properties with 5 or more occupants in 2 or more households need a mandatory licence instead.

Certain converted buildings under section 257 of the Housing Act 2004 are excluded, as are properties under an Interim or Final Management Order or a temporary exemption.

I let a flat to one family in a selective ward. Does that count?

Yes. Selective licensing applies to all privately rented homes in the 14 designated wards regardless of occupancy, including single households. The fee is £800.

Why is a floor plan so important?

It is the document most often missing or incomplete, and an incomplete application triggers a request for further information — which can cost you the £150 in fee reductions. Croydon requires every floor level, windows, doors, stairs, room uses and room sizes in square metres.

Croydon has not published a required drawing scale or whether linear dimensions must be shown in metres or millimetres. We have asked, and produce plans to a recognised metric scale with areas stated in square metres.

Can you help if a room is too small?

We can measure and tell you what the property will support before you apply. We cannot advise on planning or building works. If a room falls below Croydon’s standard, the practical options are to apply for a lower occupancy or to reconfigure — and it is much better to know before paying the non-refundable £750.

Do you submit the application for me?

No. We supply the documents; the licence application is made by the licence holder. Everything we issue is formatted to attach directly to Croydon’s online application.

Last verified 2 October 2026 against Croydon Council’s published designation and licensing pages. Licensing schemes change — confirm current requirements with Croydon’s Private Sector Housing Team on 020 8760 5476 or hsg-privatehousing@croydon.gov.uk before applying.