London has 2.7 million private renters spread across 33 boroughs, each with their own licensing schemes. The Renters' Rights Act 2025 adds national requirements on top of borough-level obligations — and with average rents at £2,100/month, the financial penalties for non-compliance are the highest in England.
2.7M
Private renters in London
£2,100
Average monthly rent
33
London boroughs
£30,000
Max civil penalty per offence
These requirements apply to every London landlord from the dates specified. Borough-specific licensing is in addition to these national rules.
No-fault evictions end. All assured shorthold tenancies become periodic. You must use Section 8 grounds for possession and Section 13 for rent increases.
You must serve the government-prescribed tenant information leaflet to all current tenants. You cannot serve a valid Section 8 notice without it.
Category 1 hazards (damp, mould, serious defects) trigger a mandatory 5-working-day investigation period. London's older housing stock makes this particularly relevant.
Check whether your borough requires additional licensing (smaller HMOs), selective licensing (all rentals in designated areas), or mandatory HMO licensing (5+ tenants). Penalties up to £30,000.
All rental properties must reach EPC Band C. Many London properties — especially Victorian and Edwardian stock — currently sit at Band D or E. Plan upgrades now.
Deposits must be protected in a government-approved scheme within 30 days. At London rents, unprotected deposits mean maximum penalties of up to 3x the deposit amount.
Each of the 33 London boroughs has its own environmental health team responsible for private rented sector licensing and enforcement. Below are key contacts for some of the most active boroughs.
Borough-wide property licensing. Dedicated rogue landlord team.
Contact your borough's environmental health team via newham.gov.uk
Additional licensing for all HMOs. Active enforcement.
Contact your borough's environmental health team via camden.gov.uk
Additional and selective licensing. High-density rental area.
Contact your borough's environmental health team via towerhamlets.gov.uk
Selective licensing across multiple wards.
Contact your borough's environmental health team via brent.gov.uk
Additional and selective licensing schemes.
Contact your borough's environmental health team via southwark.gov.uk
Additional licensing for all HMOs.
Contact your borough's environmental health team via islington.gov.uk
This is not an exhaustive list. All 33 boroughs have environmental health or private renting teams. Search "[your borough] private rented sector licensing" for your specific council.
PropReady is built specifically for the Renters' Rights Act 2025. Scan your London properties in seconds and get a clear action plan.
PropReady checks your London properties against both national RRA requirements and borough-specific licensing schemes. One scan covers everything — HMO licensing, selective licensing, and additional licensing.
Generate compliant periodic tenancy agreements, Section 13 rent increase notices, Section 8 notices, and the mandatory tenant information leaflet — all tailored to current legislation.
London's older housing stock means damp and mould reports are common. PropReady starts a 5-working-day investigation timer automatically and tracks every step for your audit trail.
When you schedule a repair, PropReady sends an automatic SMS to your contractor with the property address and issue details — critical for meeting Awaab's Law response deadlines.
Not necessarily. Mandatory HMO licensing applies across all of England for properties with 5+ tenants forming 2+ households. However, many London boroughs also run additional licensing schemes (covering smaller HMOs) and selective licensing schemes (covering all private rentals in designated areas). You need to check your specific borough — for example, Newham has borough-wide licensing while others like Richmond have no selective licensing. PropReady flags which of your properties likely need a licence.
The mandatory HMO licensing criteria are the same nationally — 5+ tenants, 2+ households, sharing facilities. However, London boroughs are much more likely to run additional licensing schemes that capture smaller HMOs (3-4 tenants). Several boroughs including Camden, Islington, and Tower Hamlets have additional licensing covering all HMOs regardless of size. Penalties for operating an unlicensed HMO can reach £30,000 per offence, and tenants can claim back up to 12 months' rent through a Rent Repayment Order.
Higher rents mean higher financial exposure. If a tenant successfully applies for a Rent Repayment Order due to an unlicensed property, they can claim back up to 12 months' rent — at £2,100/month, that's up to £25,200 per tenant. On top of that, civil penalties for Housing Act offences can reach £30,000 per offence. Under the Renters' Rights Act 2025, using an invalid Section 21 notice carries a potential £5,000 fine. London landlords face disproportionately high financial risk from non-compliance.
Deposit protection rules are the same across England — you must protect the deposit in a government-approved scheme within 30 days and serve the prescribed information. However, with London deposits often exceeding £2,400 (roughly 5 weeks' rent at average London rents), the financial penalty for failing to protect is higher in absolute terms: a court can award the tenant 1-3x the deposit amount. Under the Renters' Rights Act, you also cannot serve a valid Section 8 notice if the deposit is unprotected.
Boroughs like Newham, Brent, Camden, and Tower Hamlets are known for active enforcement and have issued some of the largest civil penalties in England. Newham pioneered borough-wide licensing and has a dedicated rogue landlord team. However, enforcement is increasing across all boroughs as the Renters' Rights Act gives councils new powers. The safest approach is full compliance regardless of borough — PropReady scans your properties and shows exactly what's needed.
See it in action
Track borough-specific licensing requirements alongside national Renters' Rights Act obligations — all from one dashboard built for London's 33 boroughs.
Give your tenants a secure reporting portal. Every issue logged, every response tracked, every deadline met automatically.
Report an issue
Property
14 Oak Street, B1 1AA
Issue type
Damp & Mould
Description
New maintenance report
Damp & mould · 14 Oak St · Sarah Thompson
Investigation deadline
5d 0h
Awaab's Law — 5 working days to investigate
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