Greenwich Landlord Licence Fees: How Much Each Scheme Costs in 2026
Fee Structure by Scheme
Greenwich charges all licence fees in two stages. Stage 1 is payable when you submit the application and is non-refundable. Stage 2 is payable after the council verifies your application and issues a draft licence. No VAT applies.
Selective Licensing
| Amount | |
|---|---|
| Stage 1 (application) | £452.88 |
| Stage 2 (licence issue) | £452.87 |
| Total per property | £905.75 |
This is a flat per-property fee regardless of property size. A one-bedroom flat in Woolwich Riverside costs the same as a four-bedroom house in Plumstead Glyndon.
Additional and Mandatory HMO Licensing
HMO fees are charged per letting unit (habitable room), not per property.
| Units | Stage 1 per unit | Stage 2 per unit | Total per unit |
|---|---|---|---|
| Units 1–5 | £263.91 | £263.91 | £527.82 |
| Each unit above 5 | £158.35 | £158.34 | £316.69 |
Worked examples:
- 3-bedroom HMO (3 letting units): £527.82 × 3 = £1,583.46
- 5-bedroom HMO (5 letting units): £527.82 × 5 = £2,639.10
- 7-bedroom HMO (5 units at full rate + 2 at reduced): £2,639.10 + (£316.69 × 2) = £3,272.48
The additional and mandatory HMO schemes use the same fee scale. The difference is which properties each scheme catches, not what they charge.
The Two-Stage Risk
Stage 1 is not a deposit. It is a processing fee consumed the moment the council begins assessing your application. If your application is rejected because documents are missing or the wrong scheme was selected, you lose that payment and must submit a fresh application with a new Stage 1 fee.
For a five-unit HMO, Stage 1 alone costs £1,319.55. That is a significant amount to forfeit because of an expired gas certificate or a floor plan without dimensions.
The only exception: if the council determines during initial review that your property does not actually require a licence, the Stage 1 fee is refunded.
Discounts and Surcharges
Renewal discount: Landlords who renew an existing licence before it expires receive a 15% reduction on the total fee. For a selective licence, that brings the cost down from £905.75 to roughly £770.
Late application surcharge: Landlords who apply after receiving a formal warning or who are caught operating without a licence face a 30% surcharge on top of the standard fee. For a five-unit HMO, that adds approximately £792 to the total.
No instalment plans. Greenwich does not offer payment instalments for either stage. Each stage must be paid in full.
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The Proposed Expansion Fees
The 2026 consultation on expanding selective licensing to 18 wards proposed a new fee of £974 per property, with a 10% discount for accredited landlords (through the London Landlord Accreditation Scheme or equivalent). These figures are not in force yet — they depend on the cabinet approving the expansion.
Calculating Your Total Cost
The fee is only part of the cost. Before you can apply, you need current safety certificates:
- Gas safety check: typically £60–£90
- EICR: typically £150–£250 depending on property size
- EPC: typically £60–£120
- Fire risk assessment (HMOs): typically £150–£300
- Floor plans: £100–£200 if you commission a surveyor, or free if you measure and draw them yourself
Add these to the licence fee to get your true compliance cost. For a three-bedroom additional HMO, the total is roughly £1,583 in licence fees plus £520–£960 in certificates and plans.
Our Greenwich landlord licensing guide includes a fee calculator worksheet and a pre-submission document checklist so you can budget the full cost before starting the application.
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