Applying for an HMO licence in Lambeth?
First-time HMO landlord, or up for renewal? Lambeth's borough-wide Additional HMO scheme runs out on 8 December 2026 — renewals are due now. Phase 2 of Selective licensing is also new this year. If your existing licence is up for renewal, or you're applying for the first time, the council standards are tightening. We'll inspect your property, tell you exactly what needs fixing, and (if you'd like) submit the licence application for you. Inspections from £199, licence applications from £295. No jargon, no surprises.
Not sure if your Lambeth property needs a licence? Probably yes — and existing licences are up for renewal.Lambeth's Additional scheme covers smaller HMOs (3 or 4 sharers) borough-wide, expiring 8 December 2026. Selective Phase 2 covers single-family lets in designated wards. If your existing licence is expiring or you've never had one, the council standards are tightening — fines up to £40,000 and tenants can claim back up to 24 months' rent.
Which Lambeth Licence Applies to You?
Lambeth has multiple HMO licensing schemes running at the same time, and which one applies depends on how many people live in the property and where it sits in the borough. The table below explains each in plain English. Not sure where you fit? Send us the address and number of occupants on WhatsApp — we'll tell you in 5 minutes.
Mandatory
Required where 5 or more people from 2+ households share. Per-room fee structure same as additional scheme.
£550 per habitable room (sleeping rooms only)Additional
Required for any HMO of 3+ people from 2+ households. Includes Section 257 converted blocks. Renewal designation expected — landlords should diary the expiry date carefully.
£550 per habitable room (no renewal discount)Selective
Required for single-family or two-sharer lets in 23 wards across two phases. Phase 1 (4 wards) runs to 1 Sept 2029; Phase 2 (19 wards) runs 5 years from 1 Sept 2025.
£1,025 (Part A £717.50 + Part B £307.50)New 2026/27 fees took effect on 1 April 2026. Lambeth's per-room HMO fee is one of the highest in London — and the council has removed the renewal discount, so renewals now cost the same as new applications. The £75 accreditation discount applied to Part B is far less generous than the previous 20% discount it replaced. Selective licence applications also benefit from a £50 EPC C+ discount and the same £75 accreditation discount.
Most Comprehensive Licensing South of the River.
Lambeth Council estimates over 48,000 private rented homes in the borough. With selective licensing now covering 23 of 25 wards, additional licensing borough-wide and a mandatory scheme on top, Lambeth has gone from one of London's lighter-touch licensing regimes in 2020 to one of the most comprehensive in 2026.
Phase 2 (live 1 Sept 2025): Brixton Acre Lane · Brixton North · Brixton Rush Common · Brixton Windrush · Clapham Common & Abbeville · Clapham East · Clapham Park · Clapham Town · Gipsy Hill · Herne Hill & Loughborough Junction · Kennington · Myatt's Field · Oval · St. Martin's · Stockwell East · Stockwell West & Larkhall · Streatham Hill West & Thornton · Streatham Wells · West Dulwich
Exempt: Vauxhall · Waterloo & South Bank
How We De-Risk Your Application.
Lambeth has a known applications backlog — adding a refusal or a request-for-information delay on top can leave a property unlicensed for months. With per-room fees among London's highest and Part A non-refundable if the application is refused, getting it right first time is more valuable in Lambeth than in most boroughs.
On-site inspection by an EHO. Full report against Lambeth's licence conditions and the council's published amenity and room size standards. You get a prioritised action list, not a generic checklist.
Get a quoteWe complete and submit your Mandatory, Additional or Selective licence application via Lambeth's online portal. Includes plan annotation, document collation and direct liaison with [email protected].
Get a quoteCommon Lambeth HMO Setups.
Lambeth's housing stock spans Victorian and Edwardian terraces in Streatham and Brixton, large semis converted into HMOs in Clapham and Herne Hill, post-war estates around Kennington and Stockwell, and an emerging build-to-rent corridor along the river. The licence conditions are uniform but typical findings vary heavily by area.
StreathamSW16 · Phase 1 selective + Additional
Dense Victorian and Edwardian terraces, the area where Lambeth piloted selective licensing in 2024. Common findings: bedrooms below the minimum, kitchen amenities undersized for occupancy, and EICRs that haven't kept pace with extension works. Streatham St Leonard's and Streatham Hill East have been live for nearly two years now — tribunal cases are starting to stack up here.
Brixton & Herne HillSW2 · SW9 · Phase 2 selective
Large Victorian terraces and semis, many converted to HMOs of 5+. Conservation-area constraints around Brixton Hill and Herne Hill affect external alterations. Section 257 blocks are common around Brixton Road and Coldharbour Lane. Typical issues: inadequate fire compartmentation between flats and amenity ratios just under the threshold.
Clapham & StockwellSW4 · SW8 · Phase 2 selective
Mix of Georgian and Victorian houses, often three storeys, converted to professional HMOs. Phase 2 only just live — the council's enforcement focus here is expected to ramp up over 2026. Common issues: damp and mould management gaps (now actionable under Awaab's Law from May 2026), and missing interlinked alarms.
Kennington & OvalSE11 · SW8 · Phase 2 selective
Mostly Georgian and early Victorian terraces, with post-war estate stock around Kennington Park. Many of these are now Phase 2 selective wards. Typical issues: extension works without adequate fire-compartmentation, and licence application paperwork that doesn't reflect actual current room layouts in older terraces.
West Dulwich & Gipsy HillSE21 · SE19 · Phase 2 selective
Suburban Edwardian semis and inter-war housing, often with rear extensions. These wards are in Phase 2 and the council is still building familiarity here. Typical issues: undeclared occupancy levels, missing emergency lighting in larger HMOs, and Section 257 status questions for older converted blocks.
Questions Lambeth Landlords Are Asking.
When does Lambeth's current additional HMO licensing scheme expire?
Lambeth's current borough-wide additional HMO licensing scheme came into force on 9 December 2021 and expires on 8 December 2026. That means existing additional licences are coming up for renewal now. The council has not yet published a renewal designation, but consultation typically begins 12-18 months ahead. Landlords with licences expiring in late 2026 should diary the date carefully — operating an unlicensed HMO between expiry and reapplication is the same offence as never licensing in the first place.
How much does an HMO licence cost in Lambeth?
From 1 April 2026 the additional HMO licence fee is £550 per habitable room (bedrooms only — living and dining rooms are not counted). A 5-bedroom shared house comes to £2,750. Lambeth has removed the renewal discount, so renewals are now charged at the same rate as new applications. Mandatory HMO licences use the same per-room structure. There is a £75 accreditation discount applied to Part B for accredited landlords. Selective licence applications are £1,025 (Part A £717.50 + Part B £307.50), with a £50 EPC C+ discount and £75 accreditation discount.
Which Lambeth wards are covered by selective licensing?
Twenty-three of Lambeth's 25 wards are now covered. Phase 1 (live 2 September 2024, runs to 1 September 2029) covers Knight's Hill, Streatham Common & Vale, Streatham Hill East and Streatham St Leonard's. Phase 2 (live 1 September 2025, also running 5 years) covers 19 more wards: Brixton Acre Lane, Brixton North, Brixton Rush Common, Brixton Windrush, Clapham Common & Abbeville, Clapham East, Clapham Park, Clapham Town, Gipsy Hill, Herne Hill & Loughborough Junction, Kennington, Myatt's Field, Oval, St. Martin's, Stockwell East, Stockwell West & Larkhall, Streatham Hill West & Thornton, Streatham Wells and West Dulwich. Only Vauxhall and Waterloo & South Bank are exempt.
Are Section 257 HMOs covered by Lambeth's additional scheme?
Yes — Lambeth's additional licensing scheme explicitly includes Section 257 HMOs. These are converted blocks of flats where the conversion did not comply with the 1991 Building Regulations standards and still does not comply, and where less than two-thirds of the flats are owner-occupied. The licence fee for Section 257 applications is calculated per self-contained flat in the converted building. Each block needs its own additional licence.
What's the penalty for operating an unlicensed HMO in Lambeth?
Lambeth Council can issue civil penalties of up to £40,000 per offence as an alternative to prosecution. Criminal prosecution carries an unlimited fine. The First-tier Tribunal recently upheld an £18,500 civil penalty against a Lambeth landlord for operating an unlicensed HMO (the council had originally imposed £24,999, reduced on appeal). Tenants can apply for Rent Repayment Orders to reclaim up to 12 months' rent under existing rules — extending to 24 months under the Renters' Rights Act 2025.
Do you work with letting agents managing Lambeth HMOs?
Yes — we work with letting agents and managing agents handling HMO portfolios. If you'd value an independent third-party compliance check rather than relying on your team's own walkthrough, get in touch about volume arrangements.