Havering agents can be fined for unlicensed lets
Property Licensing Guide for Havering
Havering currently operates selective licensing in 7 wards and additional licensing in 20 wards; mandatory HMO licensing applies everywhere. Last checked: 20 October 2026.
This free guide will provide you with the key details regarding what licensing requirements are necessary in this area and how to apply for a licence.
New to this? Read our overview: What is selective licensing?
Havering is in the London registration window for the PRS database, which opens on 15 July 2027: see how the London registration window affects letting agents.
Havering Property Licensing Schemes
To check whether a Havering property is licensed, search the council’s public register. It lists every licence Havering Council has granted and every approved temporary exemption notice.
Is manual compliance causing a headache for your agency? At Kamma, we specialise in automating licensing compliance for agents across the UK. If you need any assistance in getting your property portfolio compliant, find out how we can help letting agents here.
Not sure whether a Havering property needs a licence? Kamma's free checker covers selective, additional and HMO schemes.
Check a Havering property →What are the licensing requirements for Havering?
Mandatory licensing in Havering
Mandatory HMO licensing applies across Havering (and all of England) to larger HMOs. These are properties occupied by five or more people forming more than one household, including:
- Shared houses and flats occupied by students and young professionals.
- Properties converted into bedsits with some shared facilities.
- Properties converted into a mix of self-contained and non-self-contained accommodation.
Do I need an additional property licence in Havering?
Additional licensing requires smaller HMOs in a designated area to be licensed. That means a privately rented property with three or more people forming more than one household.
Havering operates additional HMO licensing. The current designation is set out below.
Do I need a selective licence in Havering?
Selective licensing requires almost all privately rented properties in a designated area to be licensed, regardless of the number of occupants.
Havering operates selective licensing. The current designation is set out below.
Additional licensing: 18 March 2026 to 17 March 2031, borough-wide (all 20 wards).
Selective licensing: 18 March 2026 to 17 March 2031, covering Beam Park, Harold Wood, Rainham & Wennington, Rush Green & Crowlands, Squirrels Heath, St Alban’s and St Edward’s.
Mandatory HMO licensing: in force since 2006 for HMOs of five or more people forming more than one household.
How do I apply for a licence?
You can apply for a licence via Havering Council’s website here. Or let Kamma’s expert team process the application for you.
How much does a licence cost?
| Item | Fee |
|---|---|
| Selective licence fee | £950 (Part A £570, Part B £380). |
| Additional HMO licence fee | £1,400 (Part A £840, Part B £560). |
| Mandatory HMO licence fee | from £1,329 for up to five lettings (Part A £1,063, Part B £266), rising by size to £2,130 for 20+ lettings. |
Accreditation, EPC and multiple-property discounts apply.
We Handle Your Havering Applications End-to-End
TRUSTED BY LEADING AGENTS & LANDLORDS ACROSS THE UK
Managing Across Multiple Boroughs?
Reduce risk by swapping manual tracking for our licensing compliance platform Kamma Suite.
2 licensing schemes. Know exactly what you need.
Havering Property Licensing FAQs
What licensing schemes does Havering operate?
Havering Council operates selective and additional HMO licensing (18 March 2026 to 17 March 2031), alongside the national mandatory HMO scheme. Selective covers 7 of the 20 wards and additional covers all 20. See the scheme details above.
Do all properties in Havering need a licence?
It depends on the scheme and the property. Selective licensing in Havering covers seven wards: Beam Park, Harold Wood, Rainham and Wennington, Rush Green and Crowlands, Squirrels Heath, St Albans and St Edwards. There, privately rented homes let to one household or up to two unrelated tenants need a licence. Additional HMO licensing covers all 20 wards from 18 March 2026 for HMOs of three or four unrelated people. Mandatory HMO licensing covers HMOs of five or more people.
What if my property doesn't have a licence?
Operating a property that needs a licence without one can bring a civil penalty of up to £40,000 per property in Havering, for offences on or after 1 May 2026. The landlord also risks a rent repayment order of up to 24 months’ rent. A letting agent who manages the property or collects the rent commits the offence too and can be fined separately.
Can letting agents apply on behalf of landlords?
Yes. Letting agents can apply for Havering property licences on behalf of landlords, for selective, additional and mandatory HMO licences. Many agents manage the full process for their landlords.
How do I apply for a Havering property licence?
Apply through Havering Council’s online licensing portal (housingpropertylicence.havering.gov.uk). Selective licences cost £950 and additional HMO licences £1,400 before discounts. Letting agents can also use a managed service such as Kamma.
Why did Havering introduce selective licensing?
Havering Council’s Cabinet approved selective licensing for seven wards on 10 December 2025, in force from 18 March 2026. The council says it targets areas with high levels of privately rented homes, anti-social behaviour and poor housing conditions.
Why did Havering introduce additional licensing?
Havering Council’s Cabinet approved borough-wide additional HMO licensing on 10 December 2025, in force from 18 March 2026. The decision record cites the scale of problems from poorly managed private rented properties.
What are the conditions to obtain an HMO licence in Havering?
Havering Council’s HMO licence conditions set standards for fire safety, amenities, room sizes and management (licence conditions). An HMO also needs planning permission, and the council grants only a one-year temporary licence where it has none.
About Havering
Havering has 20 wards. Selective licensing covers seven of them: Beam Park, Harold Wood, Rainham and Wennington, Rush Green and Crowlands, Squirrels Heath, St Albans and St Edwards. Additional HMO licensing covers all 20. Havering Council’s Cabinet approved both designations on 10 December 2025, for five years from 18 March 2026. The council says it targeted areas with high levels of privately rented homes, anti-social behaviour and poor housing conditions. HMOs in Havering also need planning permission (Use Class C4 or sui generis), and the council grants a one-year temporary licence where an HMO has none.
Licensing Enforcement in Havering
Failing to license a property that needs a licence is an offence under the Housing Act 2004. Letting a property without the required licence risks prosecution and civil penalties of up to £40,000 per property. The landlord can also face a rent repayment order of up to 24 months’ rent. Where a letting agent manages the property or collects the rent, the agent commits the offence too and can be fined in its own right. On 6 August 2025 Havering Council reported that Snaresbrook Crown Court ordered a Romford landlord to pay £33,689.79 or serve two years in prison, after the landlord failed to license an HMO and breached two prohibition orders.
Neighbouring borough guides
Licensing schemes stop at the borough boundary. A property one street over can need a different licence. Guides for the neighbouring boroughs:
Applying for a property licence in Havering
A Havering licence application is made to the council on the council’s own form, with the documents that council asks for. Requirements differ between councils and change when a designation changes, which is most of why an application that was correct last year is not necessarily correct now.
Letting agents can have Kamma do it. We prepare and submit mandatory HMO, additional HMO and selective licence applications in Havering and in every other UK council area, collect the supporting documents from you or from your landlord, and monitor the application through to approval. The have Kamma submit the application page sets out what we need and what happens when a council rejects a submission.
Landlords should speak to their letting agent, who can instruct us directly.
