Camden Additional HMO Licensing: The 2025–2030 Scheme Explained

Camden's additional HMO licensing scheme is now in its third consecutive five-year cycle. The current designation started on 8 December 2025 and runs until 8 December 2030, covering the entire borough. If you let a shared property in Camden to three or more unrelated people, this scheme almost certainly applies to you.

What the Additional Scheme Covers

Mandatory HMO licensing only catches the larger shared properties — five or more people in two or more households. Camden's additional scheme fills the gap underneath that threshold:

• Section 254 HMOs with three or four occupants forming two or more households who share amenities (kitchen, bathroom or toilet)
• Section 257 converted blocks where the building was converted before 1991 building regulations, the conversion still doesn't comply, and fewer than 50% of the flats are owner-occupied
• Purpose-built flats with five or more occupants that are exempt from the mandatory national scheme (because they're in blocks of three or more self-contained flats) — Camden's additional scheme catches these

The borough-wide scope means every ward in Camden is covered. Unlike some councils that designate only specific postcodes or wards, Camden's scheme applies across the entire administrative boundary.

How It Differs from Mandatory Licensing

Both schemes require the same application process, the same documents and broadly the same licence conditions. The key differences are legal:

Mandatory licensing is a permanent national obligation. It doesn't expire and doesn't need council consultation or renewal. It applies to every local authority in England.

Additional licensing is a discretionary local designation under section 56 of the Housing Act 2004. Camden must consult publicly, make a formal designation, and renew every five years. If the council chose not to renew, the additional scheme would lapse and only mandatory licensing would remain.

Camden has renewed without interruption since 2015 — the three designations cover 2015–2020, 2020–2025, and 2025–2030. Each new designation is a separate legal instrument, but for landlords the practical effect is continuous.

Scheme Transitions and Existing Licences

When the 2020 scheme expired in December 2025 and the 2025 scheme replaced it, existing valid licences weren't cancelled. A five-year licence issued under the old scheme remains legally enforceable until its own expiry date. You don't need to reapply just because a new designation started.

When your licence does expire, the renewal application goes through the current (2025) scheme's rules and fee schedule. Applications that were validly submitted before the old scheme expired but hadn't been decided yet are processed under the rules in effect when they were lodged.

What the Fees Look Like

Under the 2026/27 fee schedule (effective 15 January 2026), a standard HMO licence application costs £1,570 total — £1,318 as the Part 1 processing fee paid at submission, and £252 as the Part 2 enforcement fee paid before final grant.

Accredited landlords with current LLAS or NRLA membership get a £100 discount off the Part 2 fee, bringing the total to £1,470. The discount requires individual accreditation — corporate entities and managing agents don't qualify.

Renewal Timing

Renewal applications must be submitted through the online portal within 30 days before your current licence expires. An application outside that window is treated as a new application. If the current licence expires before a new application is duly made, the property is unlicensed in the gap.

Camden sends courtesy reminder emails about two months before expiry, but the legal responsibility is entirely yours. Calendar the date yourself.

For the full application walkthrough — documents, portal steps, fee payment, and post-grant condition tracking — see the Camden Landlord Licensing Guide.

See more England guides →