HMO and selective licensing in Redbridge Council

Which licence a rented home in Redbridge needs depends on who lives there and which ward it is in.

• Mandatory HMO licensing covers HMOs where 5 or more people live as two or more households.^[32]
• Additional HMO licensing covers HMOs of 3 or 4 people from two or more households anywhere in the borough. It also covers some converted blocks of 3 or more privately rented flats in one ownership. It runs from 18 September 2023 to 17 September 2028.^[17]
• Selective licensing covers homes let to one person, two people or a single household in 17 wards. Scheme 3 runs from 1 November 2023 to 31 October 2028, and Scheme 4 from 8 April 2024 to 7 April 2029.^[17]

Homes let by a social landlord, and homes that need an HMO licence, do not need a selective licence.^[17]

Subject to statutory exemptions, a large HMO shared by at least five people from more than one household needs a mandatory licence anywhere in England. The property licensing guide sets out the national tests that sit behind every local scheme.^[32]

Where selective licensing applies.^[17]

• Scheme 3: Ilford Town and Valentines wards^[17]
• Scheme 4: Aldborough, Barkingside, Chadwell, Churchfields, Clementswood, Cranbrook, Fairlop, Goodmayes, Hainault, Loxford, Mayfield, Newbury, Seven Kings, South Woodford and Wanstead Village wards^[17]
• Not covered: Bridge, Clayhall, Fullwell, Monkhams and Wanstead Park wards^[17]

Redbridge publishes a public register of the HMO and selective licences it has issued, searchable by postcode. It lists issued licences only, so a landlord still waiting for a decision will not appear. The council says it is moving to a new licensing system and that a small number of addresses display incorrectly. To see the temporary exemption register, email the licensing team.^[25]

1. Open the public register and search the postcode. Redbridge property licensing public register (opens in new tab)^[25]
2. Search the exact address. Save a dated screenshot or download of the result. Councils must keep a register of licences, temporary exemption notices and management orders and make it available for inspection.^[34]
3. Ask about applications and exemptions. A missing entry is a reason to investigate, not proof of an offence, so ask whether a licence, application or exemption covered the dates you rented there.^[37]
4. Report or ask in writing. prslicensing@redbridge.gov.uk. Use the council's report a rental property form (opens in new tab), which it says to use for a home you think is unlicensed, or email prslicensing@redbridge.gov.uk.^[30] Ask for a reference number and keep the reply.

Redbridge publishes the conditions it attaches to mandatory HMO, additional HMO and selective licences. They include:

• a written tenancy agreement, a copy of the licence and an emergency contact number for each tenant
• a smoke alarm on every floor used as living space
• minimum bedroom sizes in HMOs, with no room under 4.64 square metres used for sleeping^[27]
• property inspections at least every four months for additional HMOs, and every six months for selective licences^[27]
• arranging pest treatment within 7 days of learning of an infestation, for additional and selective licences^[27]
• protecting any deposit in a government-approved scheme^[27]

• National conditions are the floor. Every licence carries the prescribed conditions on gas, electrics, alarms, tenancy terms and waste, and can last up to five years; the property licensing guide lists them in full.^[35]
• Compare the licence with reality. The register entry or licence may identify the manager, the permitted occupancy and property-specific conditions. Check those details against how the home is actually occupied and managed.
• Keep separate evidence of hazards. A licence does not establish continuing compliance. Report disrepair or an immediate safety risk separately, and keep photographs, messages and certificates.

Redbridge's schemes have had gaps.

• Additional HMO licensing: 13 April 2017 to 12 April 2022, then from 18 September 2023.^[17]
• Selective licensing: Scheme 1 (old Clementswood and Valentines wards) ended in July 2022, and Scheme 2 (12 other wards) on 30 September 2023, before the current schemes began.^[17]

Ward boundaries changed in 2018, so ask the council which scheme covered your address.^[17][25]

1. Confirm the scheme and dates. Match the address, occupancy and rental period to the designation in force at the time.
2. Ask the council in writing. prslicensing@redbridge.gov.uk. Ask Redbridge Council whether an effective application or temporary exemption existed and when it took effect.^[30]
3. Check the legal position. An application, an exemption, a reasonable excuse or the identity of the person legally responsible (the "person managing or controlling" the property) can all affect whether an offence is proved.^[37]
4. Preserve the evidence. Keep the tenancy, rent payments, proof of occupation, dated searches and council correspondence.

For a licensing offence committed on or after the 1 May 2026 rule change, a tenant can ask the First-tier Tribunal for up to two years' rent, and normally has two years from the offence to apply. The tenant must prove the offence beyond reasonable doubt, and the tribunal decides any award from the statutory factors and evidence; recovery is never automatic.^[38] Older offence periods may be governed by earlier limits. Free housing advice is available from Shelter and Citizens Advice, and local law centres can help with tribunal cases.