If you rent privately in Havering, your landlord may already be breaking the law without you knowing. Since 18 March 2026, landlords across 7 wards of the borough have had to hold a selective licence for the homes they let. The licence is the landlord's responsibility, not yours. But if they should have one and don't, you could reclaim thousands of pounds in rent, and it gives you a real lever over a poorly managed home.
Because the scheme is already running, this is not something to watch for later. Here is what it covers, how to check whether your landlord is licensed, and what you can do if they are not.
What is Havering'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. Havering Council has used it to designate 7 wards, and since 18 March 2026 a landlord letting an ordinary private home in one of them must hold a licence. The scheme runs for 5 years, to 17 March 2031.
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 where the value sits. 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 Havering duty on your landlord, and it is in force now.
Which Havering wards need a selective licence in 2026?
The scheme covers these 7 wards:
- Beam Park
- Harold Wood
- Rainham and Wennington
- Rush Green and Crowlands
- Squirrels Heath
- St Albans
- St Edwards
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. Havering started an additional HMO licensing scheme on the same day.
Does your Havering rental need a licence?
The selective scheme applies to ordinary private lets in the 7 wards, a home let to a single household or to one or two unrelated people sharing. Most flats and houses rented from a private landlord fall inside it.
Some homes sit outside the selective scheme.
- Houses in multiple occupation 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 applies and your home is in a designated ward, your landlord should have been licensed since 18 March 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 Havering landlord is licensed
Havering 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.
If you cannot find your home on the register, that is worth looking into. Start by asking your landlord directly whether they have applied, because an application may be going through. Applications opened on 25 January 2026, so a landlord has had time to sort one out. If they cannot show you a licence or a pending application, you can contact Havering 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 Havering landlord?
Yes, and because the scheme is already live, you can act on this now. 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 2025, a Rent Repayment Order can cover up to 2 years of rent for unlicensed letting from 1 May 2026, up from the old 12-month limit, under section 103 of the Renters' Rights Act 2025. It only covers the rent you paid while the home was unlicensed. Havering's scheme began on 18 March 2026, so a landlord who never applied has been committing the offence across the 1 May 2026 change, and the two parts follow different rules. Regulation 11 of SI 2026/421 applies the old rules to the rent paid from 18 March to 30 April 2026, which is about six weeks' worth, while the new 2-year limit applies to the rent from 1 May 2026 onward and cannot build to a full 24 months until 2028.
On a home renting at £1,600 a month, the 18 March to 30 April rent comes to roughly £2,300, and every further month the landlord stays unlicensed adds about £1,600 on top. Awards often fall below the maximum, because the tribunal sets the figure from the landlord's conduct and the circumstances of the case. Under the new rules, though, a conviction, a final civil penalty for the offence, or a qualifying repeat offence can require the maximum award unless exceptional circumstances apply, under section 98 of the Renters' Rights Act 2025.
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 Havering landlord isn't licensed
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. Havering'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 is useful beyond the money, too. If your landlord is ignoring disrepair, the licence conditions and the council's enforcement powers give you a route to getting it dealt with.
If you think your Havering 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.
