Applying for an HMO licence in Lewisham?
First-time HMO landlord, or just unsure where to start? Lewisham operates one of London's largest selective licensing schemes — covering 18 of 20 wards and an estimated 20,000 properties. Most rented properties in Lewisham now need a licence, and the council has invested heavily in enforcement teams. We'll inspect your property before you apply, 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 Lewisham property needs a licence? Almost certainly yes — 18 of 20 wards are covered.Lewisham's Selective scheme covers 18 of 20 wards — around 20,000 properties. The Additional scheme also covers smaller HMOs (3 or 4 sharers) borough-wide. The council requires annual PAT testing as a licence condition (stricter than most boroughs). If you're renting in Lewisham and not yet licensed, fines up to £40,000 and tenants can claim back up to 24 months' rent.
Which Lewisham Licence Applies to You?
Lewisham has multiple HMO licensing schemes running at the same time. 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-lettable-unit fee structure with higher charges for very large HMOs (15+ units).
£500 per lettable unit · £2,500 for 5-bedAdditional
Required for any HMO of 3 or 4 people from 2+ households across the entire borough. Section 257 EXCLUDED. Renewal designation expected — landlords should diary the expiry date.
£500 per lettable unit (same as mandatory)Selective
Required for single-family or two-sharer lets in 18 wards across three designations. Only Telegraph Hill and parts of Blackheath are excluded.
£640 (£160 Part A + £480 Part B) · accreditation discountLewisham's selective scheme was approved by the Secretary of State on 30 November 2023 because it covers more than 20% of the borough's PRS — a threshold that triggers central government sign-off. The scheme came into force on 1 July 2024 and runs until 30 June 2029. Discounts are available for accredited landlords (London Landlord Accreditation Scheme, NRLA), registered charities and early applications, applied to the second payment. Selective licences include a yearly PAT testing requirement, distinctive from most other London selective schemes.
One of London's Widest Licensing Footprints.
Lewisham Council estimates around 26,000 properties need licensing across all three schemes — about 1,250 mandatory, 4,750 additional, and 20,000 selective. The selective scheme had to be approved by central government because it covers more than 20% of the borough's PRS. Combined with annual PAT testing requirements and a long-running Article 4 Direction in 4 wards, Lewisham now has one of the most demanding regulatory regimes in London.
Designation 2: Crofton Park · Evelyn · Ladywell · Lee Green · Sydenham
Designation 3: Bellingham · Downham · Forest Hill · Grove Park · Whitefoot
Excluded: Telegraph Hill · parts of Blackheath
Bellingham, Downham, Grove Park and Whitefoot have been under an Article 4 Direction since 7 March 2020 — new C3-to-C4 conversions in these four wards need planning permission too.
How We De-Risk Your Application.
With three concurrent licensing schemes, an Article 4 Direction in 4 wards, annual PAT testing requirements, and the additional scheme expiring in April 2027, Lewisham's regulatory complexity is among the highest in London. The cost of a pre-application inspection is small compared to a refusal under licence conditions you weren't aware applied to your property.
On-site inspection by an EHO. Full report against Lewisham'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 Lewisham's online portal. Includes plan annotation, document collation and direct liaison with the council's licensing team.
Get a quoteCommon Lewisham HMO Setups.
Lewisham's housing stock spans Victorian and Edwardian terraces in Catford and Forest Hill, large 1930s semis in Bellingham and Downham, dense conversion-heavy stock in New Cross and Brockley, and post-war estates in Grove Park and Sydenham. The licence conditions are uniform but typical findings vary heavily by area.
New Cross & BrockleySE14 · SE4 · Designation 1
Dense Victorian terraces and conversions, with significant student-let activity around Goldsmiths University. New Cross has been in selective Designation 1 since July 2024. Common findings: bedrooms below the 6.51m² minimum, kitchen amenities undersized for occupancy, EICRs that haven't kept pace with extension works, and licences applied for under the old additional regime that don't capture selective requirements for newer single-family lets.
Catford & Lewisham CentralSE6 · SE13 · Designation 1
Mix of Victorian terraces, post-war regeneration and emerging build-to-rent around Lewisham town centre. Common issues: severe overcrowding, damp and mould management gaps (now actionable under Awaab's Law from May 2026), and missing interlinked smoke alarms. Many landlords here have been licensed under additional since 2022 but haven't updated for new selective rules.
Bellingham & DownhamSE6 · BR1 · Article 4 zone
Mostly inter-war housing, with significant conversion activity since 2018-2020. Article 4 Direction has been in force here since 7 March 2020 — new HMO conversions need planning permission AND a licence. Common findings: unauthorised loft conversions, retrospective HMO conversions without planning consent, and licence applications that don't reflect actual current room layouts.
Forest Hill & SydenhamSE23 · SE26 · Designations 2 & 3
Mix of Victorian villas and inter-war semis, often three storeys, converted to professional HMOs of 5+. Conservation-area constraints around Forest Hill affect external alterations. Typical issues: fire compartmentation between flats, missing emergency lighting, and Section 257 status questions for older converted blocks (which Lewisham has excluded from additional licensing).
Grove Park, Crofton Park & WhitefootSE12 · SE4 · Designations 2 & 3
Suburban Edwardian terraces and inter-war housing. Both Grove Park and Whitefoot in the Article 4 zone since 2020. Typical issues: extension works without adequate fire-compartmentation, gas safety certificates not aligned to actual tenant occupancy dates, and the new annual PAT testing requirement under selective licensing catching landlords out.
Questions Lewisham Landlords Are Asking.
When does Lewisham's selective licensing scheme apply?
Lewisham's selective licensing scheme came into force on 1 July 2024 and runs for five years until 30 June 2029. It covers an estimated 20,000 privately rented properties across 18 of the borough's 20 wards — only Telegraph Hill and parts of Blackheath are excluded. The scheme was approved by the Secretary of State on 30 November 2023 because it covers more than 20% of the borough's PRS, requiring central government sign-off. Three designations cover different ward groupings, but all run on the same 5-year timeline.
How much does an HMO licence cost in Lewisham?
Lewisham Council charges £500 per lettable unit for HMO licences (mandatory and additional) — so a 5-bedroom shared house comes to £2,500. Selective licence applications are £640 per property, payable in two instalments: £160 on application and £480 when the licence is granted. Discounts are available for accredited landlords (e.g. London Landlord Accreditation Scheme or NRLA members), registered charities, and early applications — applied to the second payment. Larger HMOs of 15+ lettable units attract higher fees.
Which Lewisham wards are covered by selective licensing?
Eighteen of Lewisham's 20 wards across three designations. Designation 1: Brockley, Catford South, Lewisham Central, New Cross, Perry Vale, Rushey Green. Designation 2: Crofton Park, Evelyn, Ladywell, Lee Green, Sydenham. Designation 3: Bellingham, Downham, Forest Hill, Grove Park, Whitefoot. Only Telegraph Hill and parts of Blackheath are excluded. All three designations run from 1 July 2024 until 30 June 2029. Use the council's interactive map to verify whether your specific property is within the designated area.
Are Section 257 HMOs covered by Lewisham's additional scheme?
No. Lewisham is one of the few London boroughs that has explicitly EXCLUDED Section 257 HMOs from its additional licensing scheme. These are converted blocks of flats where the conversion did not comply with the relevant Building Regulations and where less than two-thirds of the flats are owner-occupied. In Lewisham they are not subject to additional licensing — though individual flats within them may still trigger mandatory HMO licensing if occupied by 5+ people from 2+ households, or selective licensing if the flat is in one of the 18 covered wards.
What's the penalty for operating an unlicensed HMO in Lewisham?
Civil penalties up to £40,000 per offence apply, criminal prosecution carries an unlimited fine, and Rent Repayment Orders can reclaim up to 12 months' rent under existing rules — extending to 24 months under the Renters' Rights Act 2025. Section 21 notices cannot be served on tenants of an unlicensed property. Lewisham's selective scheme also imposes a yearly PAT testing requirement, plus active management duties — non-compliance with conditions is treated as a separate offence. Bellingham, Downham, Grove Park and Whitefoot have been under an Article 4 Direction since 7 March 2020, removing permitted development rights for new HMO conversions.
Do you work with letting agents managing Lewisham 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.