A Westminster HMO licence is needed for any flat share of three or more people from two households. The £1,540 fee, the renewed scheme, and tenants' rights.

A Westminster HMO licence is needed for far more homes than most landlords expect. Across the whole city, any house or flat let to three or more people from two or more households who share a kitchen, bathroom or toilet must be licensed, not just the large five-person shares covered by the national rules. Westminster renewed that borough-wide scheme on 31 August 2026, and it now runs to 30 August 2031.

This page sets out who needs a licence, what it costs, how it sits alongside the selective licensing scheme that covers most other rented homes in the city, and what tenants can do if their home is not licensed.

The two HMO schemes

Scheme Who needs a licence In force
Mandatory HMO licensing Five or more people forming two or more households, sharing facilities Nationally since 2006
Westminster Additional HMO licensing Three or more people from two or more households, sharing facilities, anywhere in the city First scheme 30 August 2021; renewed scheme 31 August 2026 to 30 August 2031

A household is one person, or members of the same family living together, including couples. So three unrelated friends sharing a flat are three households, and the flat needs a licence. A couple and a lodger make two households of three people, and that also needs one.

The additional scheme also catches converted buildings where the flats are not fully self-contained, known as Section 254 HMOs, shares in purpose-built blocks, and some hostels and staff accommodation.

What changed on 31 August 2026

Westminster’s Cabinet agreed to renew the additional scheme on 16 March 2026, and the council formally designated it on 21 April 2026. It came into force on 31 August 2026 for five years, covering the whole city. Applications under the renewed scheme opened on 1 June 2026.

If you already hold an additional HMO licence from the first scheme, it stays valid until its own expiry date. You can apply to renew up to three months before it runs out. The full designation, public notice and consultation evidence are on the council’s additional licensing scheme renewal page.

The council estimates more than 56,000 homes, about 43% of Westminster’s housing, are privately rented.

How much a Westminster HMO licence costs

The fee is the same for mandatory and additional licences, and is paid in two parts. These are the rates from 1 April 2025:

Fee
Part A, paid when you apply £855
Part B, taken when the council approves the licence £685
Total, up to five bedrooms £1,540
Each extra bedroom or letting £68

Discounts:

  • 10% for accredited landlords, such as members of the London Landlord Accreditation Scheme. It does not apply if the council found the unlicensed HMO before you applied.
  • 10% off Part B for an EPC rating of C, and 20% off Part B for B or above.
  • Registered charities housing only vulnerable people pay no fee, but still have to apply.

Applications are made online through the council’s licensing portal. You will need, as a minimum, an electrical installation condition report and a gas safety certificate if there is gas. The council aims to decide within three months, and you can let the property legally once a valid application is in.

Selective licensing: the other scheme

Since 24 November 2025, most other privately rented homes in Westminster need a licence too, under a separate selective licensing scheme. It covers homes let to a single household or to one or two sharers in 15 of the city’s 18 wards:

  • Designation 1: Abbey Road, Church Street, Harrow Road, Knightsbridge and Belgravia, Little Venice, Maida Vale, Queen’s Park and Westbourne.
  • Designation 2: Bayswater, Hyde Park, Lancaster Gate, Marylebone, Pimlico North, Regent’s Park and West End.

The three wards outside it are Pimlico South, St James’s and Vincent Square. The selective licence fee is £995. A property needs one licence or the other, not both: an HMO licensed under the mandatory or additional schemes is excluded from selective licensing.

What happens if a landlord does not license

Letting or managing a licensable HMO without a licence is a criminal offence. Westminster says it can lead to an unlimited fine on conviction or a civil penalty of up to £30,000.

Tenants can claim back rent through a rent repayment order at the First-tier Tribunal (Property Chamber). Since 1 May 2026, under the Renters’ Rights Act 2025, the maximum has doubled from 12 months’ rent to 24 months, and tenants have two years from the offence to apply. Where an unlicensed period runs across 1 May 2026, the tribunal applies the old rules to the time before it and the new rules after. The landlord does not need to have been convicted, but the tribunal must be sure the offence was committed.

A landlord without a required licence also faces limits on ending the tenancy. If a freeholder or mortgage lender objects to the HMO, the council’s advice is to apply for the licence anyway and resolve the dispute separately.

How tenants can check a licence

  1. Search the public register. Westminster’s public HMO register lists every licence granted under the mandatory and additional schemes. Applications still being processed do not appear, so a missing entry is not proof the landlord has not applied.
  2. Ask the landlord or agent for the licence number or the application reference.
  3. Report it. If you think your home should be licensed and is not, use the council’s report an unlicensed HMO form, or email HMO@westminster.gov.uk. The licensing team’s phone line is 020 7641 6161, Monday to Friday, 9am to 5pm.

If your home is in poor repair as well as unlicensed, our page on the Westminster housing register covers the council’s housing options, and the council’s private renters pages explain how to complain about conditions.

Frequently asked questions

Do I need an HMO licence in Westminster for three sharers? Yes. Westminster’s additional licensing scheme covers the whole city, so a home let to three or more people from two or more households who share facilities needs a licence.

How much is an HMO licence in Westminster? £1,540 for up to five bedrooms (£855 on application and £685 on approval), plus £68 for each extra bedroom. Accreditation and good EPC ratings bring discounts.

When does Westminster’s additional HMO licensing scheme end? The renewed scheme came into force on 31 August 2026 and runs until 30 August 2031.

Can I let the property while my HMO licence application is processed? Yes. Once the council has a valid application, you can legally let the property. The council aims to process applications within three months.

What is the difference between HMO and selective licensing in Westminster? HMO licensing covers shared homes with three or more people from two or more households, citywide. Selective licensing covers other private rented homes, such as family lets and one or two sharers, in 15 of the 18 wards.

Can tenants get rent back from an unlicensed HMO? Yes, through a rent repayment order at the First-tier Tribunal. For offences from 1 May 2026, tenants can claim up to 24 months’ rent.

Sources