Croydon Licence Conditions: Waste, Anti-Social Behaviour and Tenant References

What Licence Conditions Are

Every Croydon property licence — selective, additional HMO or mandatory HMO — comes with conditions attached. These are legally binding requirements you must meet throughout the licence term. Breaching them is a criminal offence under Section 72(3) or Section 95(2) of the Housing Act 2004, carrying civil penalties of up to £40,000.

The conditions are set out in your draft licence (the Notice of Intention to Grant). You get 14 days from service to submit representations before the council finalises them. The council can formally vary licence conditions during the licence term, so they are not fixed at grant.

Waste Management

Croydon's licence conditions require landlords to ensure adequate refuse and recycling arrangements at the property. Specifically:

• Provide sufficient bins for general waste, recycling and food waste in line with the council's collection schedule
• Inform tenants in writing at the start of each tenancy about collection days, bin types and storage locations
• Keep external areas clear of dumped waste, furniture and building materials
• Act promptly if the council or neighbours report waste left by occupants or visitors on or near the property, and keep the property's vicinity clear of waste

For HMOs, waste management extends to common areas. The licence holder or manager must ensure communal bin stores are accessible, not overflowing, and that tenants know which bins to use.

Anti-Social Behaviour

Licence conditions require the licence holder to take reasonable steps to prevent and deal with anti-social behaviour (ASB) by occupants or visitors. This does not make you personally liable for a tenant's behaviour, but the council expects you to:

• Include an ASB clause in every tenancy agreement making clear that persistent nuisance, noise or criminal activity is a breach of tenancy
• Contact the tenant within 7 days of an ASB complaint, investigate it and warn the tenant in writing. If the behaviour continues after 14 days, visit and issue a further written warning within the next 14 days.
• Keep a written record of any complaints received and the steps taken to address them
• Escalate unresolved issues — if informal steps fail, pursue formal tenancy enforcement, mediation or (as a last resort) possession proceedings through the courts

The council may ask to see your ASB log during inspections. An empty log is fine if there have been no complaints, but having no system at all is a problem.

Tenant Referencing

Croydon's discretionary licence conditions (selective and additional HMO) require the licence holder to obtain references for prospective tenants before granting a new tenancy. The referencing requirement typically includes:

• Identity verification — photographic ID and proof of right to rent in the UK
• Previous landlord reference — confirming the tenant's conduct, rent payment record and whether the tenancy ended on reasonable terms
• Employment or income verification — payslips, bank statements or benefits confirmation sufficient to demonstrate the tenant can meet the rent

You do not need to use a paid referencing service. The condition requires that you take reasonable steps to assess a prospective tenant's suitability — a structured written check satisfies this. Keep copies of references on file for the licence duration.

Other Ongoing Conditions

Beyond waste, ASB and referencing, standard Croydon licence conditions include:

• Annual gas safety checks — provide a valid CP12 to every tenant and keep copies
• Electrical safety — maintain a satisfactory EICR (valid for five years) and fix any C1, C2 or FI faults within 28 days
• Smoke and CO alarms — test regularly and replace faulty units promptly
• Property maintenance — keep the structure, exterior, common parts and all installations in reasonable repair
• Display manager details — in HMOs, display the licence holder or manager's name, address and contact number in a common area
• Notify the council of changes — inform the Private Sector Housing Team of any change in circumstances affecting the licence (change of managing agent, significant layout alterations, change of use)

Staying Compliant Over Five Years

A five-year licence term means five years of ongoing obligations. Set calendar reminders for annual gas safety renewals, and diarise the EICR renewal date. Keep a simple compliance file — digital or paper — containing current certificates, tenancy agreements, referencing records and any ASB correspondence.

Our Croydon landlord licensing guide includes a compliance tracker worksheet covering every condition across the full licence term.

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