Council licensing report
Southwark runs at least one local property licensing scheme. Some rules apply to the whole council. Others apply only to listed streets, wards, or mapped areas, so the postcode alone does not always give a yes-or-no answer.
Status
Enter the postcode to confirm the council, then pick the address. If a scheme uses a street list, we check the selected street against it and give a direct yes or no.
Selective licensing · active · Listed wards · 1 Mar 2022 to 1 Mar 2027
Southwark selective licensing designations 1 and 2 apply in Faraday, Newington, Goose Green, Champion Hill and St Giles from 1 March 2022 to 1 March 2027.
Selective licensing · active · Listed wards · 1 Nov 2023 to 31 Oct 2028
Southwark selective licensing designations 3 and 4 apply in 14 named wards from 1 November 2023 to 31 October 2028.
Additional HMO licensing · active · Whole council area · 1 Mar 2022 to 1 Mar 2027
Southwark additional HMO licensing applies borough-wide to HMOs not covered by mandatory licensing, including smaller shared HMOs, relevant section 257 HMOs and certain purpose-built flats in multiple occupation.
A property licensing scheme is not the same everywhere. A council can designate the whole borough, a handful of wards, a list of streets, or a boundary drawn on a map. Whichever option Southwark chose changes how confident you can be from the postcode alone.
This scheme covers a list of named wards. The postcode confirms the council, but the address has to fall inside one of the listed wards.
This scheme covers a list of named wards. The postcode confirms the council, but the address has to fall inside one of the listed wards.
This scheme covers the whole of Southwark. Every privately rented property inside the council boundary is in scope.
The right licence depends on who lives in the property, how the household is structured, and where the property sits in the council area. These are the situations we see most often, with what Southwark's current rules say about each.
One adult renting a self-contained flat or a studio with their own kitchen and bathroom.
May need a selective licence if the address sits inside Southwark's designated scheme area.
Two people from one household renting an entire house on one tenancy.
May need a selective licence if the address sits inside Southwark's designated scheme area.
Parents and dependent children from one household renting an entire house.
May need a selective licence if the address sits inside Southwark's designated scheme area.
Three friends or three unrelated tenants on a joint tenancy, sharing a kitchen and bathroom.
Needs an additional HMO licence anywhere in Southwark. Mandatory HMO licensing only kicks in at five or more occupiers, so this property is not in scope of the national rule.
Four unrelated tenants sharing a kitchen and bathroom.
Needs an additional HMO licence anywhere in Southwark. Mandatory HMO licensing only kicks in at five or more occupiers, so this property is not in scope of the national rule.
Five or more unrelated tenants sharing a kitchen and bathroom.
Needs a mandatory HMO licence anywhere in England. The five-or-more, two-or-more-households test is national, not council-specific. Southwark's additional HMO scheme covers the whole council, so its conditions stack on top of the mandatory licence.
Owner-occupier letting a room to one or two lodgers in their own home.
Letting to a lodger while you live in the property is exempt from HMO licensing in most cases. Selective licensing exemptions also normally cover owner-occupier lets.
Five students from at least two households sharing a converted house.
Needs a mandatory HMO licence anywhere in England. The five-or-more, two-or-more-households test is national, not council-specific. Southwark's additional HMO scheme covers the whole council, so its conditions stack on top of the mandatory licence.
The earliest scheme end date is 1 Mar 2027 (9 months away). If Southwark redesignates, every existing licence has to be re-applied for under the new scheme. Fees and conditions usually change between cycles.
A property licence does not transfer when a property changes hands. If you buy a let property that needs a licence under Southwark's rules, the existing licence ends and you need to apply for a new one in your own name. The seller's solicitor should disclose any existing licence and any open enforcement notices.
For conveyancing in Southwark, ask three things before exchange. First, is the property inside any current selective or additional HMO scheme area. Second, is there an active licence in the seller's name and on what conditions. Third, has the council issued a civil penalty, banning order or rent repayment order against the seller in the last six years.
Owner-occupiers buying to live in the property do not need a licence. The rules only apply when a property is rented out.
Anything on this page that you cannot find an answer to, the council's licensing team can confirm in minutes.
Email the licensing team
[email protected]
Phone the licensing team
020 7525 4090
Apply for a licence
Application form on Southwark's website
Public licence register
Search licensed properties in Southwark
Official licensing page
Southwark council guidance
Council postcode checker
Southwark's own street or postcode lookup