Wandsworth Council Is Moving To Data-Led Enforcement
Property Licensing Guide for Wandsworth
Wandsworth currently operates selective licensing in 7 wards and additional licensing in 22 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?
Wandsworth is in the London registration window for the PRS database, which opens on 15 July 2027: see what the PRS database means for landlords and agents in London.
Wandsworth Property Licensing Schemes
To check whether a Wandsworth property is already licensed, search the council’s public licence register, which needs a registration. The council’s interactive map shows which selective ward a postcode sits in.
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 Wandsworth property needs a licence? Kamma's free checker covers selective, additional and HMO schemes.
Check a Wandsworth property →What are the licensing requirements for Wandsworth?
Mandatory licensing in Wandsworth
Mandatory HMO licensing applies across Wandsworth (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 Wandsworth?
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.
Wandsworth operates additional HMO licensing. The current designation is set out below.
Do I need a selective licence in Wandsworth?
Selective licensing requires almost all privately rented properties in a designated area to be licensed, regardless of the number of occupants.
Wandsworth operates selective licensing. The current designation is set out below.
Additional licensing: 1 July 2025 to 30 June 2030, borough-wide (all 22 wards).
Selective licensing: 1 July 2025 to 30 June 2030, covering Furzedown, South Balham, Tooting Bec and Tooting Broadway.
Selective licensing: 1 April 2026 to 31 March 2031, covering East Putney, Northcote and West Putney.
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 Wandsworth Council’s website here. Or let Kamma’s expert team process the application for you.
How much does a licence cost?
Licence fees
| Licence | Fee |
|---|---|
| Selective licence | £885 per property |
| Additional HMO licence | £1,507 per property |
| Mandatory HMO licence | £1,711 (HMO licence (size band 1, lowest)). Worked total £1,827, on this basis: 5-bedroom band (£1,711 3-bed + 2×£58) |
Fees as read from the council’s own published schedule on 20 July 2026, not independently re-checked since; subject to change. See the council’s fee page for full schedules, payment stages and discounts.
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Wandsworth Property Licensing FAQs
What licensing schemes does Wandsworth operate?
Wandsworth Council operates selective licensing in 7 wards and additional HMO licensing in all 22 wards, alongside national mandatory HMO licensing. Additional licensing, and selective licensing in Furzedown, South Balham, Tooting Bec and Tooting Broadway, run from 1 July 2025 to 30 June 2030. Selective licensing in East Putney, Northcote and West Putney runs from 1 April 2026 to 31 March 2031.
Do all properties in Wandsworth need a licence?
Not every property in Wandsworth needs a licence. A privately rented home in one of the 7 selective wards needs a selective licence from the dates above. An HMO anywhere in Wandsworth needs an additional or mandatory licence, depending on its size and occupancy. Check the address on the council’s interactive map.
What if my property doesn't have a licence?
Letting a licensable property in Wandsworth without a licence risks a civil penalty of up to £40,000 per property 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 Wandsworth property licences on behalf of landlords. Wandsworth Council takes applications through its online portal, and many agents manage the full process for their landlords.
How do I apply for a Wandsworth property licence?
Apply through Wandsworth Council’s online portal. Applicants can pay online or arrange a BACS transfer (licensing pages). A managed service such as Kamma can also prepare the application.
Why did Wandsworth introduce selective licensing?
Wandsworth Council states that selective licensing is meant to protect renters and act against rogue landlords. Its December 2025 announcement cited hazards found at inspections, including missing fire doors and undersized bedrooms. It started in four wards on 1 July 2025 and extends to East Putney, Northcote and West Putney from 1 April 2026.
Why did Wandsworth introduce additional licensing?
Wandsworth Council’s additional HMO licensing covers smaller HMOs that the national mandatory scheme excludes. It applies in all 22 wards from 1 July 2025 to 30 June 2030. The council states that licensing is meant to ensure properties meet safety standards.
What are the conditions to obtain an HMO licence in Wandsworth?
Wandsworth Council’s HMO licence conditions set standards for fire safety, amenities, room sizes and management (licence conditions).
About Wandsworth
Wandsworth, an inner borough of London in the historic county of Surrey, lies west of Lambeth and spans 5 miles along the River Thames. Its districts include Putney, Tooting, Balham, Earlsfield and Battersea. Selective licensing covers Furzedown, South Balham, Tooting Bec and Tooting Broadway from 1 July 2025, and East Putney, Northcote and West Putney from 1 April 2026. Additional HMO licensing applies in all 22 wards.
Licensing Enforcement in Wandsworth
Wandsworth Council enforces property licensing across its schemes. By 15 December 2025 it reported 5,955 licence applications, 444 inspections and 85 enforcement notices for safety breaches. 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.
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:
Tracking licensing across a managed portfolio
A single Wandsworth address can be checked by hand. An agency managing several hundred properties across Wandsworth and the boroughs around it cannot work that way, and designations change often enough that a check made last quarter may no longer hold.
Kamma connects to the CRM your agency already works in and reads the address and tenancy fields a licensing determination depends on. The licensing position for each property then sits beside the record your team is already looking at.
Pages covering what Kamma reads from each system and how to connect it are available for Reapit, Street.co.uk, MRI Sales and Lettings, MRI Radar, Apex27, Acquaint CRM, Jupix, iamproperty, SME Professional, Rex Software, SleekTech. Alto and agentOS also integrate. The full list is on the CRM integrations page.
