A Haringey home let to one household or two people in one of 14 wards needs a selective licence until 17 November 2027, and a shared house with three or more people from more than one household needs an HMO licence anywhere in the borough. Haringey landlord licensing has two live schemes in October 2026. Selective licensing has applied since 17 November 2022 to homes let to one household or two people in 14 wards, and it ends on 17 November 2027. Additional HMO licensing has covered the whole borough since 17 June 2024 and ends on 16 June 2029. The cap on a civil penalty for conduct on or after 1 May 2026 is £40,000.
The short version
- A home in one of 14 wards, let to a single household or two people, needs a selective licence (£705.84 standard fee).
- A shared house of five or more people from two or more households needs a mandatory HMO licence. Smaller HMOs in Haringey need an additional licence (£1,411.68 standard fee).
- Edmonton is in Enfield, which has different rules (see our Enfield selective licensing article), though a small part of N18 falls in Haringey, so check the council for an N18 address.
- Licences cannot be transferred. A buyer of a licensed home applies for their own.
Which Haringey landlord licensing schemes are live?
| Scheme | Covers | Dates | Standard fee |
|---|---|---|---|
| Selective licence | Homes let to a single person, two people or one household, in 14 wards | 17 Nov 2022 to 17 Nov 2027 | £705.84 |
| Additional HMO licence | HMOs in the whole borough that need no mandatory licence | 17 Jun 2024 to 16 Jun 2029 | £1,411.68 |
| Mandatory HMO licence | HMOs with five or more people in two or more households | National rule, in this form since 1 Oct 2018 | The council's HMO fee page shows one fee, £1,411.68; confirm with the council |
The council's notices say the Secretary of State confirmed the selective scheme on 17 August 2022 and that the council designated the additional scheme on 12 March 2024.
Is my property in a selective licensing ward?
The 14 wards are Bounds Green, Bruce Castle, Harringay, Hermitage and Gardens, Noel Park, Northumberland Park, Seven Sisters, South Tottenham, St Ann's, Tottenham Central, Tottenham Hale, West Green, White Hart Lane and Woodside.
Our Tottenham guide covers several of these areas. Wood Green is not a ward, but Woodside, Noel Park and Bounds Green are on the list, so many addresses in our Wood Green guide area are covered. Check each one. Our Haringey guide covers the borough, and Edmonton sits in Enfield.
Check by address. The council's page has an address search, a one-page map and a 20-page list of covered streets. The scheme excludes houses that need an HMO licence, homes let by registered social landlords and tenancies exempt under the Selective Licensing of Houses (Specified Exemptions) (England) Order 2006.
Do I need an HMO licence in Haringey?
Nationally, an HMO needs a mandatory licence if five or more people live in it as two or more households, under the Licensing of Houses in Multiple Occupation (Prescribed Description) (England) Order 2018. A purpose-built flat in a block of three or more flats is excluded.
Haringey's additional scheme covers other HMOs across the borough. The council's page lists exemptions, including a home occupied only by two people who form two households, and an owner-occupier with no more than two tenants. On our reading, three or four people in more than one household therefore need the additional HMO licence rather than a selective one, since the selective designation excludes HMOs that need a licence.
What does a Haringey licence cost and what do you apply with?
The fees below are the council's 2026/27 figures, set for the year and reviewed each year. The selective fee is paid in two parts: Part A of £411.57 with the application and Part B of £294.27 after approval. For the HMO licence, Part A is £641.48 and Part B is £770.20.
| Discount | Selective licence | HMO licence |
|---|---|---|
| Accredited licence holder | £50 off Part B | £50 off Part A |
| EPC rating C or above | £50 off Part B | £50 off Part B |
Illustration from the council's published figures: an accredited landlord of a flat in a selective ward with an EPC of C would pay £411.57 with the application and £194.27 later, a total of £605.84.
Apply through the council's online portal. You will need:
- the licence holder's UK contact details;
- details of everyone with an interest in the property;
- room sizes in square metres and detector locations;
- a payment card;
- the EPC, the electrical installation condition report and, if there is gas, the gas safety certificate. HMO applications also need a floor plan.
The council aims to process applications within 90 days, and says a selective application without a valid EPC gets a one-year licence.
What happens if you let without a licence in Haringey?
Letting without a required licence is an offence under section 72(1) (HMOs) or section 95(1) (selective) of the Housing Act 2004. The council can prosecute, with an unlimited fine, or issue a civil penalty.
What changed on 1 May 2026. Regulations made in 2026 raised the maximum civil penalty from £30,000 to £40,000 for conduct on or after 1 May 2026. Haringey's 2022 and 2024 designation notices and March 2025 enforcement policy still say £30,000, because they predate the change. The Renters' Rights Act 2025 widened liability from the same date: section 95(1) now reaches any landlord or licensor of an occupier and any superior landlord, as well as the person managing the home. The reasonable-excuse defence already existed, and the defendant must prove it. For a superior landlord, a term in the tenancy agreement is not a defence on its own.
What Haringey's policy sets. The policy sets starting levels of £12,500 for an unlicensed selective or additional HMO property and £17,500 for a mandatory HMO. For a landlord with one or two homes and no aggravating features, the selective figure drops to £7,500. GOV.UK's national starting points are £12,000 (selective) and £17,000 (HMOs). The council adjusts each case.
Rent repayment orders. For an offence committed on or after 1 May 2026, a tenant can ask the First-tier Tribunal for an order covering up to two years' rent for the period of the offence, applying within two years of it (sections 41 and 44), and the council can apply too. For an offence that began before 1 May and continues, the new rules do not reach the period before that date: GOV.UK says the older limit is one year's rent, and the council's older notices also say 12 months.
What happens when the selective scheme ends in November 2027?
The designation notice says the scheme ends on 17 November 2027, or earlier if revoked. In January 2026 the council published a procurement notice for specialists to review the scheme and the feasibility of a renewed one. We found no consultation or Cabinet decision on a replacement, and the housing consultations page said none was under way. A new scheme would need its own designation, after the council consults (section 80). The council's fee document says licences are granted "for the duration of the scheme (up to five years)", so a licence granted now is likely to end on 17 November 2027 whatever the date you apply. A planned London register of rental properties, explained in our landlord register article, will not replace a licence.
A Haringey landlord checklist
- Search the address on the council's page and check the ward.
- Count the people and households, and check the HMO tests.
- If it needs a licence, apply before you let it, because the application defence in section 95(3) runs only while a duly made application is effective.
- Gather the EPC, EICR and gas safety certificate. Our licensing guide covers the basics.
- Check the accreditation and EPC discounts before paying.
- If an agent manages the property, agree in writing who holds the licence.
- Diary the licence end date, and tell the council if you sell, since a new owner must apply.
If you own a rented home in Tottenham or elsewhere in Haringey and want to talk through letting it, ask us for a free lettings valuation. Whether your property needs a licence is a question for Haringey's licensing team or a solicitor.
Questions readers ask
Do I need a licence to rent out in Haringey?
It depends on the home and its ward. A home let to one household or two people in one of 14 wards needs a selective licence. A shared house with three or more people from more than one household needs an HMO licence anywhere in the borough, unless an exemption applies. A home outside those wards let to one household needs neither.
Is Haringey selective licensing borough-wide?
No. The council's designation covers 14 wards: Bounds Green, Bruce Castle, Harringay, Hermitage and Gardens, Noel Park, Northumberland Park, Seven Sisters, South Tottenham, St Ann's, Tottenham Central, Tottenham Hale, West Green, White Hart Lane and Woodside. Check each address on the council's page, because ward boundaries do not follow neighbourhood names.
How much does a Haringey selective licence cost?
The council's standard fee is £705.84 for the scheme, paid in two parts: £411.57 with the application and £294.27 once it is approved. Accredited landlords can take £50 off Part B, and a property with an EPC rating of C or above can take another £50 off. Paper applications cost £100 extra.
Do three sharers in Haringey need an HMO licence?
Usually yes. Since 17 June 2024 the council's additional licensing scheme covers HMOs across the borough that fall below the national five-person threshold. The council's own exemption list includes a home occupied by only two people forming two households, so check the exemptions page, or ask the licensing team, before you decide.
What is the penalty for letting without a licence in Haringey?
The council can prosecute, with an unlimited fine, or issue a civil penalty. For conduct on or after 1 May 2026 the maximum civil penalty is £40,000. For offences from 1 May 2026, tenants can also apply to the tribunal for a rent repayment order of up to two years' rent.
Sources
- Haringey Council, Selective property licensing and applying for a selective licence, no date shown, read on 17 October 2026.
- Haringey Council, Do I need a selective licence? and fees and discounts, no date shown, read on 17 October 2026.
- Haringey Council, Consultations for housing, Do I need an HMO licence? and HMO fees, no date shown, read on 17 October 2026.
- Haringey Council, Notice of designation for selective licensing, public notice for additional HMO licensing and private sector housing enforcement policy, read on 17 October 2026.
- legislation.gov.uk, Housing Act 2004, section 95, section 80 and section 91, read on 17 October 2026.
- legislation.gov.uk, Licensing of Houses in Multiple Occupation (Prescribed Description) (England) Order 2018 and Financial Penalties Regulations 2026, read on 17 October 2026.
- legislation.gov.uk, Housing and Planning Act 2016, section 41 and section 44, and Selective Licensing of Houses (Specified Exemptions) Order 2006, read on 17 October 2026.
- Find a Tender, Procurement of specialists to review the existing property licensing scheme, published 12 January 2026. Haringey Council, selective licensing fee structure 2026 to 2027.
- GOV.UK, Civil penalties under the Renters' Rights Act 2025 and other housing legislation, published 13 November 2025.
- GOV.UK, Rent repayment orders: guidance for tenants, last updated 1 May 2026.
