Waltham Forest landlord licensing has three schemes in force in October 2026. Unless an exemption applies, a rented home needs a selective licence if it is let to one household or two unrelated sharers in 20 of the borough's 22 wards. A shared home with three or more people from more than one household needs an HMO licence anywhere in the borough. Letting without a required licence can now bring a civil penalty of up to £40,000, for conduct on or after 1 May 2026.
The short version
- Three licences exist: selective (£895), additional HMO (£1,200) and mandatory HMO (from £1,650).
- Licences last up to five years and cannot be transferred.
- Edmonton and the rest of Enfield follow different rules: see our Enfield selective licensing and Enfield HMO articles.
Which Waltham Forest landlord licensing schemes are in force?
| Scheme | Covers | Dates | Standard fee |
|---|---|---|---|
| Selective | One household, one person or two unrelated sharers; 20 of 22 wards | 1 May 2025 to 30 April 2030 | £895 (£300 + £595) |
| Additional HMO | HMOs not needing a mandatory licence, borough-wide | 1 Apr 2025 to 31 Mar 2030 | £1,200 (£600 + £600) |
| Mandatory HMO | Five or more people in two or more households | National rule, in this form since 1 Oct 2018 | £1,650, £2,200 or £5,500 by size |
The council's Cabinet agreed both new schemes on 9 July 2024, and the Secretary of State confirmed the selective one. If you hold an older licence, ask the council for its end date. It expects an application on or before the day a licence expires.
Is my property in the selective licensing area?
The council's notice excludes two wards: Hatch Lane & Highams Park North, and Endlebury. Its web page writes the list as "Hatch Lane, Highams Park North and Endlebury", which reads like three. The 2021 ward order names Hatch Lane & Highams Park North as one ward and gives the borough 22, so two wards are out; the council's enforcement policy and the map in the notice agree. Hale End & Highams Park South is a separate ward, so Highams Park is split across the line.
Covered (20): Cann Hall, Cathall, Chapel End, Chingford Green, Forest, Grove Green, Hale End & Highams Park South, High Street, Higham Hill, Hoe Street, Larkswood, Lea Bridge, Leyton, Leytonstone, Markhouse, St James, Upper Walthamstow, Valley, William Morris and Wood Street. Wards follow the council's map, not neighbourhood names, so ask the licensing team (020 8496 4949) about any address near a boundary. Our Chingford and Walthamstow guides cover the neighbourhoods.
The designation leaves out HMOs needing another licence, homes let by registered social landlords, and tenancies exempt under the 2006 order. The notice's annex lists holiday lets and a landlord who shares a toilet, washing facilities, kitchen or living room with the tenant. The council can grant a three-month temporary exemption notice, for example during a sale.
Do I need an HMO licence in Waltham Forest?
An HMO needs a mandatory licence if five or more people live in it as two or more households (2018 Order). A flat in a purpose-built block of three or more flats is outside it. The council's additional designation covers other HMOs in the borough, but excludes a building occupied only by two people who form two households.
| Who lives there | Licence on our reading |
|---|---|
| One family or two sharers, in a covered ward | Selective |
| Two sharers, in an excluded ward | None under these schemes |
| Three unrelated sharers, anywhere in the borough | Additional HMO |
| Five unrelated sharers in a house | Mandatory HMO |
| Five sharers in a flat in a purpose-built block of four flats | Additional HMO; ask the council |
The council's pages disagree in places. Its schemes page describes additional licensing as covering HMOs of "2 to 3 persons", and its additional-licence page gives an end date of 31 May 2030. The signed designation says 31 March 2030 and excludes the two-person case, so we followed it. The additional-licence page also says "more than 3 people" for flats in purpose-built blocks, which the designation does not, so check three-person flats. Ask the council in writing if your case turns on it.
How much does a Waltham Forest property licence cost?
Part A is taken when you apply and Part B when the council proposes to grant. Totals from the council's costs page:
| Licence | Standard | Multi-property | EPC C | EPC A or B |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Selective | £895 | £770 | £800 | £600 |
| Additional HMO | £1,200 | £1,075 | £1,105 | £800 |
| Mandatory HMO | £1,650 to £5,500 | Not listed | Not listed | Not listed |
The multi-property £125 comes off the Part A fee for each dwelling after your first in the same building, if they are let under non-exempt tenancies, in common ownership and management, and applied for together. The fees page says the flats must be next to each other, but the council's May 2026 licensing policy says the discount applies whether or not they are. The council also has a separate multi-dwelling licence route; email it to register interest. EPC discounts do not apply where the council has had to investigate a failure to license.
Illustration from the council's figures: an owner of three self-contained flats in one block, each let to one household in a covered ward and applied for together, would pay £895 + £770 + £770 = £2,435, against £2,685 at the standard fee.
How do I apply for a Waltham Forest licence?
- Set up a landlord account on the council's online system and enter the property details. It works out which licence applies.
- Gather the holder's name and date of birth, safety equipment details, the gas safety certificate, the tenancy agreement, photos of the front and back, and the names and addresses of everyone with an interest, including freeholders, agents and lenders. HMOs also need room sizes and electrical certificates.
- Apply for each property separately and pay Part A. The council says false information is a criminal offence.
- The council checks that the holder is fit and proper, inspects HMOs, and tells interested parties such as lenders, who have 14 working days to respond.
- When the council proposes to grant, it asks for Part B. Its policy says the application lapses if the full fee is not paid within 14 days of that notice. A licence is usually for five years, normally one year if the council has concerns about management or condition.
A company needs a UK registered office, and a non-UK resident needs a UK-based managing agent. Appeals must be made within 28 days of the decision date, unless the tribunal allows a late appeal for good reason (Schedule 5, paragraph 33).
What happens if you let without a licence in Waltham Forest?
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 or issue a civil penalty instead. Since 1 May 2026 the offence also reaches any landlord or licensor, not only the person managing the home. Our Haringey article explains that change.
The cap. The 2026 regulations raised the maximum civil penalty from £30,000 to £40,000 for conduct on or after 1 May 2026, so a letting that began unlicensed before that date has a mixed position. New defences from 1 May 2026 include a reasonable excuse, and an application duly made. So what: apply before the first tenancy starts. The council's enforcement policy, dated 24 September 2025, still says £30,000. It sets levels of at least £7,500 for an unlicensed selective home (five or fewer dwellings) or additional HMO (one or two HMOs), and £17,500 or more for a landlord with three or more HMOs, six or more dwellings, or demonstrated letting experience at any portfolio size. An unlicensed mandatory HMO starts at £12,500, or £22,500 or more on the same test. GOV.UK's national starting points are £12,000 (selective) and £17,000 (HMOs).
Rent repayment orders. For an offence committed on or after 1 May 2026, a tenant can ask the First-tier Tribunal for up to two years' rent, applying within two years (GOV.UK). The council's 2025 notice still says 12 months, the earlier rule. The council can also apply for an order.
Is anything changing?
The schemes run to their end dates unless the council revokes them. Its consultations page, read on 17 October 2026, lists no licensing consultation, and a title search of draft statutory instruments on legislation.gov.uk that day for housing and licensing found none altering these rules. A London landlord register is planned: see our landlord register article. Our licensing guide covers the basics.
If you own a rented home in Chingford, Walthamstow or elsewhere in Waltham Forest and want to talk through letting it, ask us for a free lettings valuation or get in touch. Only the council's licensing team or a solicitor can confirm whether your property needs a licence.
Questions readers ask
Do I need a licence to rent out a property in Waltham Forest?
Usually yes. A home let to one household or two unrelated sharers needs a selective licence in 20 of the 22 wards. A shared home with three or more people from more than one household needs an HMO licence anywhere in the borough, unless an exemption applies. Check the address with the council's licensing team before you let.
Is Waltham Forest selective licensing borough-wide?
No. The designation covers 20 of 22 wards. The council excludes Hatch Lane & Highams Park North and Endlebury, and says three or more unrelated tenants in those wards need an HMO licence. Ward boundaries follow the council's map rather than postcodes, so check each address by phone or email before you rely on a ward name.
How much is a Waltham Forest HMO licence?
The council's standard fee for an additional HMO licence is £1,200, paid as £600 on application and £600 once granted. A mandatory HMO licence costs £1,650 for up to 8 units, £2,200 for 9 to 19 units and £5,500 for 20 or more. Discounts are listed on the council's fees page.
Do two sharers need a licence in Waltham Forest?
In the 20 selective wards, yes: the scheme covers homes let to two unrelated sharers. The additional HMO designation excludes a building occupied only by two people forming two households, so on our reading two sharers in the two excluded wards need neither licence. Confirm with the council, because the answer depends on the facts.
Can I transfer a Waltham Forest licence to the buyer when I sell?
No. Section 91(6) of the Housing Act 2004 says a selective licence may not be transferred to another person, and section 68(6) says the same of an HMO licence. A buyer who keeps letting the home applies in their own name. The council also says it will not refund fees if you sell or stop letting after applying.
Sources
- Waltham Forest Council, schemes (no date shown); selective, additional HMO and mandatory HMO, last updated 11 September 2026.
- Waltham Forest Council, costs, applying, who can apply, after you apply, exemptions, appeals and consultation responses, last updated 11 September 2026; consultations, read on 17 October 2026.
- Waltham Forest Council, additional designation (9 July 2024), selective notice (signed 15 November 2024) and enforcement policy (24 September 2025), read on 17 October 2026.
- legislation.gov.uk, Housing Act 2004 section 95, 72, 68, 91, 249A and Schedule 5; 2026 penalties regulations, 2018 HMO Order, 2006 exemptions order and 2021 ward order, read on 17 October 2026.
- GOV.UK, civil penalties guidance, published 13 November 2025; rent repayment orders, last updated 1 May 2026.
