If you rent privately in Croydon, your landlord may soon be breaking the law without you realising it. From 25 September 2026, landlords across 14 wards of the borough have to hold a selective licence for the homes they let. The licence is the landlord's job, not yours, but if they should have one and do not, you could reclaim thousands of pounds in rent, and it gives you a real lever over a badly managed home.
Here is what the scheme covers, how to check whether your landlord is licensed, and what you can do if they are not.
What is Croydon's selective licensing scheme?
Selective licensing is a power councils have under Part 3 of the Housing Act 2004 to require a licence for privately rented homes in a designated area. Croydon Council has designated 14 wards, and from 25 September 2026 a landlord letting an ordinary private home in one of them must hold a licence. Licences run for up to 5 years.
To get a licence, the landlord has to meet management and safety conditions, on things like gas and electrical safety, smoke alarms, and dealing with disrepair and anti-social behaviour. For you as a tenant, that is the real benefit. The scheme gives the council a set of standards to hold your landlord to, and a reason to step in if your home is not up to scratch.
This is a local council scheme, separate from the national database being set up under the Renters' Rights Act. Do not confuse the two. Selective licensing is a Croydon duty on your landlord, running now.
Which Croydon wards need a selective licence from 25 September 2026?
The scheme covers these 14 wards:
- Addiscombe East
- Addiscombe West
- Bensham Manor
- Broad Green
- Fairfield
- Norbury and Pollards Hill
- Norbury Park
- Selhurst
- South Croydon
- South Norwood
- Thornton Heath
- Waddon
- West Thornton
- Woodside
If your home is in one of these wards, your landlord almost certainly needs a licence. If you are not sure which ward you live in, you can check your address on the council's website. Wards outside this list are not covered by the selective scheme, though a house in multiple occupation anywhere in the borough may still need a separate HMO licence.
Does your Croydon rental need a licence?
The selective scheme applies to ordinary private lets in the 14 wards, a home let to a single household, a single tenant, or a couple sharing. Most flats and houses rented from a private landlord fall inside it.
Some homes sit outside the selective scheme:
- Houses in multiple occupation already covered by mandatory or additional HMO licensing. These need an HMO licence instead, not a second selective one.
- Homes let by social landlords, such as a housing association.
- Homes already under a council management order, plus a small number of tenancies that are exempt by law.
If none of those exceptions applies and your home is in a designated ward, your landlord should be licensed from 25 September 2026. For how selective licensing works across England more generally, see our guide on selective licensing and what tenants can claim.
How to check if your Croydon landlord is licensed
Croydon Council keeps a public register of licensed properties. You can search it on the council's website to see whether your address, or your landlord, holds a current licence. It is a quick check and worth doing once the scheme is live.
If you cannot find your home on the register after 25 September 2026, that is worth looking into. Start by asking your landlord directly whether they have applied, because an application may be in progress. If they cannot show you a licence or a pending application, you can contact Croydon Council's private-sector housing team, who enforce the scheme and can tell you whether your property should be licensed.
Can you claim rent back from an unlicensed Croydon landlord?
Yes, and this is the part worth understanding. If a landlord lets a home that should be licensed but is not, they commit an offence under section 95 of the Housing Act 2004. When that happens, you can apply to the First-tier Tribunal for a Rent Repayment Order, which makes the landlord pay back rent you handed over while the property was unlicensed.
Since the Renters' Rights Act reforms, a Rent Repayment Order can cover up to 24 months of rent, doubled from the old 12-month limit. On a home renting at £1,500 a month, that is up to £36,000 for the maximum period, though a tribunal weighs the landlord's conduct and often orders less than the full amount. The rent has to have been paid during the unlicensed period to count.
We explain the change to the two-year limit in how the Renters' Rights Act extended rent repayment orders, and the step-by-step tribunal process in how to apply for a rent repayment order.
What to do if your landlord isn't licensed after 25 September 2026
If your home should be licensed and your landlord has not applied, you have a clear order of steps:
- Keep your paperwork. Your tenancy agreement, rent receipts or bank statements, and the address details are what a Rent Repayment Order claim rests on.
- Report it to the council. Croydon's private-sector housing team enforces the scheme and can take action against an unlicensed landlord.
- Consider a Rent Repayment Order for the rent you paid while the property was unlicensed.
Licensing also gives you a way to push on a badly managed home. If your landlord is ignoring disrepair, the licence conditions and the council's enforcement powers are a way to get it dealt with.
If you think your Croydon landlord should be licensed and isn't, Remedy can check the position and help you prepare a rent repayment claim, from gathering the evidence to filing with the tribunal.
