Croydon Landlord Accreditation: NRLA, LLAS and How It Cuts Your Licence Fee

What Landlord Accreditation Means in Croydon

Accreditation is a voluntary professional qualification for private landlords. Croydon Council recognises accredited landlords as having demonstrated a baseline level of management competence, and rewards them with a fee discount on discretionary licence applications (selective and additional HMO).

Croydon's current fee schedule accepts accreditation through:

• London Landlord Accreditation Scheme (LLAS) — run through London boroughs and the Mayor of London's office, this is the most widely recognised scheme in London. It involves completing a one-day training course (or online equivalent) covering tenancy law, property management, safety obligations and legal responsibilities.
• National Residential Landlords Association (NRLA) — Croydon accepts NRLA accreditation.
• UK Association of Letting Agents (UKALA) — Croydon accepts UKALA accreditation.

The Fee Discount

Accredited landlords receive a £100 discount on the total fee for discretionary licence applications. This applies to both selective licences (reducing the standard £800 to £700) and additional HMO licences (reducing £1,250 to £1,150).

To claim the discount, you must hold valid, current accreditation at the time you submit your application. The Metastreet portal includes fields for your accreditation licence number and expiry date — these are verified during processing.

The accreditation discount can be stacked with other available discounts:

• £100 multi-dwelling discount — for selective licences only, where the properties are in common ownership and management control, contiguous in the same block or building, and all applications are made at the same time. The first property is charged the full Part A fee; the discount applies to the second and later properties.
• £50 EPC Band B+ discount — if the property holds an Energy Performance Certificate rated Band B or above

A landlord claiming all three discounts on a qualifying second or later property could reduce a selective licence fee from £800 to £550.

How NRLA Membership Fits In

The National Residential Landlords Association (NRLA) is a membership body offering educational resources, document templates, legal advice helplines and regulatory updates. Croydon accepts NRLA accreditation; NRLA membership alone is not listed as sufficient for the accreditation discount. Croydon also lists ARLA, RICS and Safeagent memberships as eligible for the £100 discount.

If you are an NRLA member and want the discount, check that you hold NRLA accreditation and provide the supporting evidence requested by the council.

How to Get Accredited

The typical route:

1. Register with LLAS, NRLA or UKALA through their websites
2. Complete the training — usually a one-day workshop or an online course covering property standards, tenant management, legal obligations and safety compliance
3. Receive your accreditation certificate with a unique number and expiry date (typically valid for a set renewal period)
4. Enter your accreditation details in the Metastreet portal when applying for a Croydon licence

Accreditation training covers topics directly relevant to licensing compliance — fire safety, electrical obligations, gas safety, room standards, anti-social behaviour management and tenancy documentation. Even if the fee discount were not available, the training is useful preparation for managing a licensed property.

Beyond the Discount

Accreditation also helps during the fit-and-proper person assessment. While it is not a substitute for a clean criminal record and housing compliance history, the council views accredited status as positive evidence of management capability. For landlords who have been issued a one-year licence due to competence concerns, completing accreditation training before the renewal application can support a request for a full five-year term.

For the full Croydon fee breakdown and all available discounts, see our Croydon landlord licensing guide.

See more England guides →