Selective licence Havering: licensing schemes, fees and enforcement

Havering has 2 discretionary licensing schemes on our record: additional HMO licensing (in force), selective licensing (in force). Mandatory HMO licensing applies everywhere in England to HMOs with 5 or more people in 2 or more households.

Selective: yesAdditional HMO: yesMandatory HMO: alwaysChecked 28 Sep 2026

Free. Official data only. We don't store your postcode.

Havering licensing schemes in force or approved

Additional HMO licensing · Scheme 3 (additional, borough-wide)

In force
Area coveredWhole council area
Designation made10 Dec 2025
Runs18 Mar 2026 to 17 Mar 2031
Fee£1,400 (Part A £840 + Part B £560)
per property
Discounts£100 off B accredited; £75 off B EPC C+; £100 per extra dwelling same building; no early-bird

Note from our check: designation_made = Cabinet decision date

Checked 28 Sept 2026.

Selective licensing · Scheme 2

In force
Area coveredListed wards only (7 wards)
Designation made10 Dec 2025
Runs18 Mar 2026 to 17 Mar 2031
Fee£950 (Part A £570 + Part B £380)
per property
Discounts£100 off B accredited; £75 off B EPC C+; £100 per extra dwelling same building; no early-bird
Wards in the scheme (7)

Beam Park · Harold Wood · Rainham & Wennington · Rush Green & Crowlands · Squirrels Heath · St Alban's · St Edward's

Ward or street lists can split a road. Use the council's own address checker or designation map before relying on this list.

Note from our check: council spells "St Albans", "St Edwards"

Checked 28 Sept 2026.

Upcoming: consultations and key dates in Havering

DateWhatSchemeSource
17 Mar 2031
in 1631 days
scheme endAdditional HMO licensingcouncil
17 Mar 2031
in 1631 days
scheme endSelective licensingcouncil

Want a reminder before a deadline? Use the form at the bottom of this page and pick "Email me before my deadlines".

Mandatory HMO licensing in Havering

Whatever the local schemes, a licence is required for any house in multiple occupation let to 5 or more people forming 2 or more households who share a kitchen, bathroom or toilet. This rule is national and has applied since 1 October 2018. Letting without a required licence is a criminal offence under section 72 of the Housing Act 2004. Read do I need an HMO licence? and how to apply.

Havering HMO licence register

The council's public register of licensed properties: London Borough of Havering public register. Use it to check whether a property already holds a licence, for example before you buy. Licences do not transfer to a new owner.

Havering Article 4 and HMO planning rules

Havering does not publish Article 4 data to the national planning data platform, so we cannot tell you from official data whether an HMO Article 4 direction applies. Absence of data is not absence of a direction: check the council's planning pages.

Licensing and planning are separate. A licence does not give planning permission, and planning permission does not replace a licence. See Article 4 and HMOs.

Tribunal record: rent repayment orders and civil penalties in Havering

Figures below count First-tier Tribunal (Property Chamber) decisions published on GOV.UK for properties located in Havering. They show how tenants and the council use enforcement here. Most civil penalties are paid without appeal, so they never reach the tribunal.

Rent repayment order decisions2 (1 in the last 3 years)
Orders made2 (100% of decisions with a known outcome)
Median award£4,177 (last 3 years: £6,679)
Total awarded£8,354
Civil penalty appeals8
Penalty upheld (in full or reduced)83.3% · confirmed in full 33.3%
Median penalty: council's notice / after tribunal£8,500 / £12,000
Other Housing Act appeals (licence terms, notices, orders)1

Recent rent repayment order decisions in Havering

DecidedAreaPropertyOffence allegedOutcomeAmountDecision
2 Jul 2024RM5HMOunlicensed HMO; unlicensed (selective licensing); unlawful eviction / harassment; HMO management regulationsOrder made£6,679GOV.UK
6 May 2021—HMOunlicensed HMOOrder made£1,675GOV.UK

Recent civil penalty appeals in Havering

DecidedAreaOffenceOutcomeCouncil's penaltyAfter tribunalDecision
7 Feb 2025RM3not extractedPenalty cancelled£5,000£0GOV.UK
6 Apr 2021RM11unlicensed HMO; unlicensed (selective licensing)See decision£16,000—GOV.UK
3 Mar 2021RM5unlicensed HMO; HMO management regulationsPenalty varied——GOV.UK
1 Mar 2021RM3breach of licence conditionsPenalty confirmed£12,000£12,000GOV.UK
19 Oct 2020RN12not extractedWithdrawn / struck out—£12,500GOV.UK
30 Mar 2020RM2failure to comply with improvement notice; HMO management regulationsWithdrawn / struck out—£30,000GOV.UK
16 Jul 2019RM12unlicensed HMOPenalty varied£2,500£3,500GOV.UK
7 Jan 2019RM7HMO management regulationsPenalty varied——GOV.UK

Amounts and outcomes are extracted automatically from the decision text and can be wrong; open the decision on GOV.UK for the full reasons. Party names are not shown. Information, not legal advice.

If you have let without a licence you needed, read unlicensed property: what to do, rent repayment orders and civil penalties.

Landlord database deadline for Havering

Havering is in the London region of the new Private Rented Sector Database. Registration opens 15 Jul 2027 and the deadline to register is 14 Oct 2027. The published fee is £65 per property per year. Database registration is separate from council licensing: you may need both. See register your rental property.

Get help with a Havering licence application

We can prepare a licence application for you for a fixed fee; the council's own fee is separate. See pricing for what is included and how we make money. You can also run a full address check on the postcode checker.

Help with a Havering licence

We may refer legal matters to an SRA-regulated solicitor and may receive a referral fee; we will tell you before any referral. See how we make money.

Havering licensing: common questions

Is there selective licensing in Havering?

Yes. Scheme 2: in force until 17 Mar 2031 (part of the area). Check the council's map or address checker to confirm your street.

How much is an HMO licence in Havering?

Additional HMO licensing: £1,400 (per property); Selective licensing: £950 (per property). Fees for mandatory HMO licences are set by the council and published on its fees page.

Does Havering have an Article 4 direction for HMOs?

Havering does not publish Article 4 data to the national planning data platform, so we cannot tell you from official data whether an HMO Article 4 direction applies. Absence of data is not absence of a direction: check the council's planning pages.

Where is the Havering HMO licence register?

The council publishes its public register of licences here: London Borough of Havering register. Councils must keep a register of licences under section 232 of the Housing Act 2004.

How often do landlords in Havering face rent repayment orders or fines?

The First-tier Tribunal has published 2 rent repayment order decisions for properties in Havering (2 with an order made), median award £4,177, and 8 civil penalty appeals. Most penalties are never appealed, so the true number of fines is higher.

Related: selective licensing in England · additional HMO licensing · HMO licence cost · HMO rules · HMO hub

Sources

Last checked 28 Sep 2026. Information, not legal advice. Licensing schemes change often; always confirm with the council before you act.