Date: Wednesday 27 August to 12 November 2025
About: Westminster City Council has launched a consultation on plans to renew their additional licensing scheme.
In Westminster, Houses in Multiple Occupation (HMOs) need to be licensed if they are occupied by five or more people and fall within the mandatory HMO licensing scheme.
Westminster’s current additional licensing scheme which extends licensing to most HMOs occupied by three or more people will end in August 2026.
The council also has a selective licensing scheme starting on 24 November 2025. This scheme which covers fifteen council wards will extend licensing to all private rented properties occupied by a single household or two unrelated sharers.
The council are consulting on plans to renew their additional licensing scheme when it expires next year, as summarised below.
Before making a decision, the council wants to hear from tenants, landlords, managing agents, residents, business owners, community organisations and anyone else who may be affected by the proposed schemes.
Proposed additional licensing scheme
Westminster City Council are proposing a new borough wide additional licensing scheme.
The scheme would extend licensing to most HMOs that fall outside the remit of mandatory HMO licensing. This will include HMOs occupied by three or four people and all multi-occupied flats in purpose build blocks of flats where the block comprises three or more flats.
The council are proposing to exclude section 257 HMOs within the scheme. These are properties that have been converted into self-contained flats, where less than two thirds of the flats are owner occupied and the conversion into flats does not comply with the relevant building regulations. Individual flats within such buildings may still need licensing depending on how they are occupied.
You can read the business case for renewing the additional licensing scheme on the council’s website.
Drop in sessions
Westminster’s Private Sector Housing Team are hosting a series of drop in sessions where you can find out more information about the proposed additional licensing scheme renewal. There is no need to book, you can just turn up on the day.
Maida Vale Library
- Date: Friday 12 September
- Time: 2pm to 4pm
- Address: Sutherland Avenue, London, W9 2QT
Marylebone Library
- Date: Thursday 18 September 2025
- Time: 11am to 12:30pm
- Address: 9-27 New Cavendish Street, London, W1G 9TZ
Marylebone Library
- Date: Thursday 25 September 2025
- Time: 11am to 12:30pm
- Address: 9-27 New Cavendish Street, London, W1G 9TZ
St John’s Wood Library
- Date: Wednesday 8 October 2025
- Time: 2pm to 4pm
- Address: 13-19 Circus Road, London, NW8 6NX
Charing Cross Library
- Date: Wednesday 15 October 2025
- Time: 11:30am to 1.30pm
- Address: 6 Charing Cross Road, London, WC2H 0EP
Maida Vale Library
- Date: Thursday 23 October2025
- Time: 2pm to 4pm
- Address: Sutherland Avenue, London, W9 2QT
Pimlico Library
- Date: Thursday 30 October 2025
- Time: 11:30am to 1:30pm
- Address: Lupus Street, London, SW1V 3AT
Maida Vale Library
- Date: Thursday 6 November 2025
- Time: 2pm to 4pm
- Address: Sutherland Avenue, London, W9 2QT
Victoria Library
- Date: Friday 7 November 2025
- Time: 11am to 1pm
- Address: 160 Buckingham Palace Road, London, SW1W 9UD
Share your views
Once you have studied the proposals, you can complete the proposed property licensing scheme consultation questionnaire.
If you have any queries or need to request a paper questionnaire or any other format, please email hmo@westminster.gov.uk.
The consultation closes on 12 November 2025.
The London Property Licensing free guide with more information about the property licensing schemes in Westminster is available here.