Croydon - Selective Licensing Of Privately Rented Properties

THE LONDON BOROUGH OF CROYDON
Public Notice - Notice Of Designation Of An Areas For Selective Licensing Section 80, Housing Act 2004

1. THE LONDON BOROUGH OF CROYDON ("The Council") in exercise of its powers under section 80 of the Housing Act 2004 ("the Act") hereby designates for selective licensing the areas described in paragraph 5.

2. The designation has been made under the general approval granted under Section 80 of the Act and was approved by Cabinet decision taken on the 25th March 2026.

3. The designation falls within a description of designations for which confirmation is no longer required by Secretary of State under General Approval issued on 23 December 2024

Citation, Commencement And Duration
4. This Designation shall be known as THE LONDON BOROUGH OF CROYDON Designation for Areas for Selective Licensing 2026. All privately rented residential accommodation situated within the designated areas must be licensed with the Council unless subject to statutory exemption as set out in paragraph 8.

5. The Designations are made on 25 March 2026 and will come into force on 1st September 2026. In line with the Housing Act 2004: Selective Licensing of Other Residential Accommodation (England) General Approval 2015 and the updated guidance issued by the Department for Communities and Local Government 23 December 2024 (Selective licensing in the private rented sector - A Guide for local authorities), the Designations fall within a description of designations for which, as long as the authority has consulted for at least ten weeks, do not need approval from the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG).

6. The Designation shall cease to have effect on 1st September 2031 (not more than 5 years) or earlier if the Council revokes the scheme under section 84 of the Act.

Area To Which The Designation Applies
7. This designation shall apply to the following areas of THE LONDON BOROUGH OF CROYDON. Designation is delineated in black with the area itself coloured purple on the map in annex B below. The following wards are included in each designation.

Wards Included In Designation:
- Addiscombe East
- Addiscombe West
- Bensham Manor
- Broad Green
- Fairfield
- Norbury & Pollards Hill
- Norbury Park
- Selhurst
- South Croydon
- South Norwood
- Thornton Heath
- Waddon
- West Thornton
- Woodside

Application Of The Designation
8. This designation applies to any house¹ which is let or occupied under a tenancy or licence within the area described in paragraph 5 unless:
a. the house is a house in multiple occupation (HMO) that falls within the nationally prescribed category of HMO that is required to be licensed as a ‘mandatory HMO’ under section 55(2)(a) Part 2 of the Act²;
b. the house is a house in multiple occupation that falls within the prescribed category of HMO that is required to be licensed under THE LONDON BOROUGH OF CROYDON Designation of an Area for Additional Licensing of Houses of Multiple Occupation made on 25th March 2026 under Section 56 of the Housing Act 2004³;
c. the tenancy or licence of the house has been granted by a registered social landlord4;
d. the house is subject to an Interim or Final Management Order under Part 4 of the Act;
e. the house is subject to a temporary exemption under section 86 of the Act; or
f. the house is occupied under a tenancy or licence which is exempt under the Act or the occupation is of a building or part of a building so exempt as defined in Paragraph 5(f): Exempted tenancies or licences, Selective Licensing of Houses (Specified Exemptions) (England) Order 2006 SI 370/2006.

Effect Of The Designation
9. Subject to sub paragraphs 6(a) to (f) every house in the area specified in paragraph 5 that is occupied under a tenancy, or licence shall be required to be licensed under section 85 of the Act.6

10. THE LONDON BOROUGH OF CROYDON will comply with the notification requirements contained in section 83 of the Act and shall maintain a register of all houses registered under this designation, as required under section 232 of the Act.5

If you are a landlord, managing agent or a tenant, or if you require information regarding this designation, or to apply for a licence, further information and assistance is available from the Council’s Private Sector Housing Team, by telephone on 020 8760 5476 or by email to: hsg-privatehousing@croydon.gov.uk, or by writing to: Private Sector Housing Team, Housing Needs Division, Housing Department, Croydon Council, 3rd Floor Zone B, Bernard Weatherhill House, 8 Mint Walk, Croydon, CR0 1EA.

The Designation may be inspected at the above address during office hours. All landlords, managing agents or tenants within the designated area should obtain advice to ascertain whether their property is affected by the Designation by contacting the Council’s Private Sector Housing Team.

Warning
Upon the designation coming into force on 1st September 2026, any person who operates a licensable property without a licence or allows a licensed property to be occupied by more households or persons other than as authorised by a licence, is liable to prosecution and upon summary conviction is liable to an unlimited fine. A person who breaches a condition of a licence is liable upon summary conviction to a maximum fine of £5,000 per breach.

The Authority may, as an alternative to initiating a prosecution, pursue one or more of a range of other enforcement actions including the imposition of a financial penalty of up to £30,000.

When an offence has been committed, an application may also be made by the Authority and/or tenant for a Rent Repayment Order to pay back up to 12 months’ rent, Housing Benefit, or Universal Credit

The Authority may also make an Interim Management Order whereby the Authority would take management control of the unlicensed property.

The Authority will also add any relevant offences to the Greater London Authority Rogue Landlord and Agent Register unless it considers that there are valid reasons for not so adding, which will be considered on a case-by-case basis.

Signed: Portfolio Holder And Elected Cabinet Member
For and on behalf of LONDON BOROUGH OF CROYDON
Official
Date:

¹ For the definition of "house" see sections 79 and 99 of the Act

² Section 55 of the Act defines which Houses in Multiple Occupation are required to be licensed under the Act. See also The Licensing of Houses in Multiple Occupation (Prescribed Descriptions) (England) Order 2005 (SI 2006/371)

³ Additional Licensing covers HMOs that are not within the scope of Mandatory HMO Licensing where tenants share one or more ‘basic amenities’ i.e. a WC, personal washing facilities or cooking facilities. ‘Section 257’ HMO buildings would need a selective licence unless; an individual flat was itself multiply occupied which would need an additional or mandatory HMO licence depending on the number of persons accommodated or, where the building or part of a building is of three or more storeys that have been converted into three or more self-contained flats and where both the building and self-contained flats it contains are under the same ownership or considered by the council to be effectively under the same control.

4 Section 79 (3) of the Act. For the definition of a Registered Social Landlord see Part 1 of the Housing Act 1996

5 Section 232 of the Act and paragraph 11 of SI 373/2006

6 See the Selective Licensing of Houses (Specified Exemptions) (England) Order 2006 SI 370/2006

 

THE LONDON BOROUGH OF CROYDON
www.croydon.gov.uk