Additional HMO licensing · London Borough of Southwark
The London Borough of Southwark Designation of an Area for Additional Licensing of Houses in Multiple Occupation 2022
- Status
- Active
- Runs
- 1 March 2022 — 1 March 2027
- Designated
- 28 October 2021
- Fee
- Fee paid in two parts: part A on application, part B on approval. From 1 April 2026: part A £1,017.50 + part B £415.50 = £1,433 (before 1 April 2026: £969.20 + £395.90 = £1,365.10). Section 257 HMO licences are free. 50% part B discount for Gold Standard Charter landlords (part B waived entirely if also in the finders' fee scheme); 50% discount on both parts for registered charities providing affordable or specially adapted housing. Invoice surcharge £60.50; paper application surcharge £179.70.
- Applies to
- All section 254 HMOs occupied by 3 or more persons in 2 or more households not covered by mandatory HMO licensing (i.e. HMOs of up to 4 occupants with shared facilities), plus section 257 HMOs (buildings of 3+ storeys converted into 3+ self-contained flats under the same ownership/control) and flats in multiple occupation in purpose-built blocks of 3+ flats. Exclusions per designation notice paras 5(a)-(e).
Our records last verified 27 August 2026 · council designation page · licence conditions
Area covered
The scheme covers the whole of London Borough of Southwark — every privately rented property in the borough that meets the scheme’s criteria needs a licence, wherever it is.
London Borough of Southwark also runs its own address-level lookup: check whether a specific address falls inside the scheme.
What this means for landlords
Additional HMO licensing extends licensing to shared homes below the national 5-person mandatory threshold. If your property in this area houses unrelated sharers, check the scheme’s occupancy criteria — operating an unlicensed licensable HMO carries the same penalties as any licensing offence: fines up to £30,000, rent repayment orders, and blocked possession notices.
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.
Hold a licence here? HouseFile tracks its expiry next to every other compliance date.
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