Selective licensing · London Borough of Lewisham
London Borough of Lewisham Designations for Areas for Selective Licensing 2023 (three designations; council page name: Selective licensing)
- Status
- In force
- Runs
- 1 July 2024 to 1 July 2029
- Designated
- 8 March 2023
- Fee
- £640 per property, paid in two parts: £160 when you apply and £480 when the licence is granted. Accredited landlords (for example through the LLAS or the NRLA) get 20% off, taken from the second part, so they pay £512 in all. Eligible housing charities get 50% off and pay £320, and only one discount applies to each application. A licence usually lasts five years.
- Applies to
- Privately rented homes let to one household, a single person or two sharers in 16 of the 18 wards Lewisham had before May 2022, which is everywhere except the old Telegraph Hill and Blackheath wards. Today that leaves out Telegraph Hill ward and almost all of Blackheath ward. Exempt: HMOs that need a mandatory or additional licence, social landlord lets, homes under a management order or with a temporary exemption, and the kinds of letting exempt nationally. Flats in a converted block (a section 257 HMO) need a selective licence when each is let to one household. Check the council's map near the edge of the area.
Our records last verified 18 October 2026 · council designation page
Area covered
The designation covers these wards, as they were drawn when the scheme was made:
- Bellingham
- Brockley
- Catford South
- Crofton Park
- Downham
- Evelyn
- Forest Hill
- Grove Park
- Ladywell
- Lee Green
- Lewisham Central
- New Cross
- Perry Vale
- Rushey Green
- Sydenham
- Whitefoot
London Borough of Lewisham also runs its own address-level lookup: check whether a specific address falls inside the scheme.
What this means for landlords
Selective licensing applies to privately rented homes of any size in the designated area, including single lets. Letting an unlicensed property inside the area can mean a civil penalty of up to £40,000 and a rent repayment order of up to 24 months’ rent.
Is your property inside the scheme area?
This checker reflects HouseFile’s records of council licensing designations, not the councils’ live registers. Our records indicate the position at the verification date shown on each result. Schemes are designated, renewed and revoked throughout the year, and postcode-level lookups are approximate near scheme boundaries. Always confirm with the council before letting or buying a property, using the source link on each card. This is general information, not legal advice.
If you hold a licence here, HouseFile can track its renewal date
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