Westminster council is launching a public consultation to renew its borough-wide Additional Licensing Scheme for smaller HMOs – with landlords expected to pay £1,540 for a licence to operate. 

The total fee is divided into two parts paid at different stages of the application process. 

For a licence covering up to 5 bedrooms, the fees are Part A: £855 – paid at the time of application to cover the costs of processing and property inspection; and Part B: £685 – paid after the application is processed and before the licence is issued. For HMOs with more than five lettings, there is an additional fee of £68 per extra bedroom.

A council statement is made which says: “Developed as part of the Private Rented Sector Strategy 2021-2025, the additional HMO scheme aims to tackle poor housing conditions and reduce anti-social behaviour through setting a common standard for HMOs (focussed on their specific risks), increasing interventions and targeting rogue landlords. The council estimates that over 56,000 homes (43% of all residential accommodation in the City) is in the private rented sector, and it is committed to improving the living conditions of the many residents in this sector.”

Westminster’s Labour-led council is preparing to implement a new selective licensing scheme for private rented homes, Starting in November across 15 wards.

The scheme will apply to all privately rented properties not already covered by existing licensing frameworks—namely, the national mandatory HMO scheme for larger shared homes and the borough’s Additional Licensing Scheme introduced in 2021.

A spokesman for Westminster council says: “Everyone deserves to live in safe and well-managed homes. Since 2021, the Additional Licensing Scheme has improved over 900 HMOs and protected over 12,000 tenants in Westminster through our direct intervention and as good landlords comply with the requirements of the scheme.

“With the largest private rented sector in the country, the council is committed to driving up housing standards and creating a safer, fairer private rented sector. We are determined to continue with the achievements we have made.”

The council is ending the consultation on November 12th for this money grab from smaller landlords.