Haringey Selective Licensing: Which Wards Are Covered and How to Apply

What Selective Licensing Means for Haringey Landlords

Haringey's selective licensing scheme has been in force since 17 November 2022 and runs for five years, ending 17 November 2027. It requires a licence for every privately rented property occupied by a single household or by two unrelated sharers within the 14 designated wards — regardless of property type or condition.

This isn't an HMO scheme. If you let a two-bedroom flat to a couple in Noel Park, you need a selective licence. If you rent a terraced house to a single tenant in White Hart Lane, you need a selective licence. The threshold is occupancy of any private rental in a covered ward, not the number of tenants.

The scheme was designated under Section 80 of the Housing Act 2004. Haringey secured ministerial confirmation under the rules that applied before December 2024, when the general approval requirement for large-scale selective schemes was removed by statutory reform.

The 14 Designated Wards

The selective licensing area covers the eastern and central corridor of the borough:

• Bounds Green
• Bruce Castle
• Harringay
• Hermitage and Gardens
• Noel Park
• Northumberland Park
• Seven Sisters
• South Tottenham
• St Ann's
• Tottenham Central
• Tottenham Hale
• West Green
• White Hart Lane
• Woodside

The seven western wards — including Muswell Hill, Crouch End, Highgate, Alexandra, Fortis Green, Hornsey, and Stroud Green — are not covered. A single-household let in those wards needs no licence (though an HMO in any ward still needs a separate HMO licence).

Ward boundaries do not always follow postcode lines. A property on a road that straddles two wards might fall inside or outside the scheme depending on which side of the boundary it sits. Use the council's address lookup tool at propertylicensing.haringey.gov.uk to confirm, and if the result is ambiguous, request written confirmation from Haringey's Private Sector Housing team at [email protected].

Fees for 2026/27

The total selective licence fee for 2026/27 is £705.84, split into Part A (£411.57, paid on application) and Part B (£294.27, paid on licence approval). That's a 3.8% CPI increase from the 2025/26 fee of £680.

Two discounts are available. A £51.90 reduction on Part A for landlords accredited through the London Landlord Accreditation Scheme or equivalent body. A £51.90 reduction on Part B for properties with an EPC rating of C or above. Both stack, bringing the net fee to £602.04.

Part A is non-refundable once processing starts. Part B is refundable if the application is refused before the licence is granted or if the property ceases to require a licence before the final licence document is issued.

How to Apply

Applications go through the Metastreet portal at propertylicensing.haringey.gov.uk. Paper applications are accepted only with an accessibility accommodation — and carry a £100 surcharge.

Before starting the portal submission, have these ready: a current gas safety certificate, an EICR dated within the last five years, an EPC at minimum Band E, current tenancy agreements, and proof of smoke and CO alarms. The portal will also ask for a Fit and Proper Person declaration covering criminal history, housing enforcement history, and discrimination findings.

Payment of Part A generates an application reference but does not grant the licence. The property stays in pending status until the council issues a Notice of Intent (draft licence), collects Part B, and issues the final licence.

Duration and Expiry

Individual selective licences can last up to five years, but they cannot outlive the scheme. A licence granted in 2026 expires on 17 November 2027 alongside the main designation, regardless of when it was issued. That means a late application delivers a shorter licence period for the same fee.

Whether Haringey will renew the scheme after 2027 is a council decision. The December 2024 statutory reform means the council no longer needs ministerial sign-off to designate a successor scheme.

What Happens Without One

Operating a rental in a designated ward without a selective licence is an offence under Section 95 of the Housing Act 2004. A duly made, still-effective licence application is a statutory defence to the unlicensed-operation offence. Haringey may issue civil penalties of up to £30,000 for offences before 1 May 2026 and up to £40,000 for offences on or after that date under the Renters' Rights Act 2025. Tenants can apply for rent repayment orders of up to 24 months' rent. Since 1 May 2026, landlords must use the applicable Section 8 ground because Section 21 has been abolished; a missing property licence does not automatically invalidate every Section 8 ground, and Ground 6B includes cases where a required HMO or selective licence has been refused or revoked.

For the full application walkthrough, ward-by-ward breakdown, and a dated compliance checklist, see the Haringey Landlord Licensing Guide.

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