HouseFile
Licensing in Waltham Forest

Selective licensing · London Borough of Waltham Forest

London Borough of Waltham Forest Designation for an Area for Selective Licensing 2025

Status
In force
Runs
1 May 2025 to 30 April 2030
Designated
9 July 2024
Fee
£895 per property, paid in two parts, according to London Property Licensing in July 2025. There's £125 off for several properties, and discounts for energy-efficient homes and charities.
Applies to
Privately rented homes let to one person, one family or household, or two unrelated sharers, in 20 of the borough's 22 wards: everywhere except Endlebury and Hatch Lane & Highams Park North. Licences last up to five years, and the council can grant shorter ones where it finds problems with compliance or planning.

Our records last verified 27 August 2026 · council designation page

Area covered

The designation covers these wards, as they were drawn when the scheme was made:

  • 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
  • Wood Street

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

Keep the licence with the rest of the property's certificates, and HouseFile will remind you before each one is due. It also records when your tenants open the documents you share.
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