Newham Licence Discounts: Accreditation and EPC Savings Explained

Newham offers two fee discounts on property licences, and they stack. A standard selective licence drops from £750 to £650 if you qualify for both. On an additional HMO licence at £1,250, the saving is the same £100 — not transformative, but it is money back for compliance work you should be doing anyway.

The Accredited Landlord Discount: £50

This discount applies if the proposed licence holder holds active, certified membership in one of six recognised landlord bodies:

• LLAS (London Landlord Accreditation Scheme)
• NRLA (National Residential Landlords Association)
• BLA (British Landlords Association)
• Propertymark
• Safeagent
• UKALA (UK Association of Letting Agents)

The membership must include at least five hours of formal training. Weekend webinars or short CPD sessions may not meet this threshold — check the certificate against the five-hour requirement before claiming.

The critical detail: the accreditation must belong to the licence holder, not just the managing agent. If you own the property and are named as the licence holder, but only your agent holds the NRLA membership, you do not qualify. The discount follows the person whose name goes on the licence.

The Warmer Homes EPC Discount: £50

Properties with an active Energy Performance Certificate rated A, B or C qualify for the second £50 discount. The EPC must be current (within its 10-year validity) at the time of application.

For HMOs, the relevant EPC is the one covering the overall building, not individual flat or room EPCs. If your HMO has an EPC for the whole structure rated C, you qualify. If only the individual units have certificates, check whether a whole-building EPC exists.

The newly rented property rate (£400 for selective, £800 for additional HMO) already requires EPC C or above — those reduced rates are separate from the Warmer Homes discount and apply only to properties entering the private rented sector for the first time.

How to Claim

Both discounts must be claimed at the time of application. You upload your accreditation certificate and EPC through the My Newham portal as part of the standard document submission. The council verifies eligibility during processing and applies the discount to the licence fee.

Discounts cannot be claimed retrospectively. If you forget to upload your accreditation certificate and the application is processed at the standard rate, you cannot request a refund of the £50 difference after the fact.

When Discounts Are Disqualified

If Newham Council has already served you a "Failure to Licence Warning Letter" before you submit your application, neither discount is available. The council's position is that landlords who were already warned about licensing obligations do not benefit from voluntary compliance incentives.

This matters for timing. If you have received a "Failure to Licence Warning Letter" from the Private Sector Housing team, the discount window has closed regardless of your accreditation status or EPC rating.

Is Accreditation Worth Getting for the Discount Alone?

The £50 discount is modest relative to the cost of accreditation. NRLA membership runs roughly £85 to £110 per year. LLAS courses are significantly cheaper — often free for London landlords — and satisfy the five-hour training requirement.

The value of accreditation extends beyond the discount. Newham explicitly lists accreditation as a positive factor in the Fit and Proper Person assessment, and accredited landlords are less likely to receive shortened one-year licences. For landlords with multiple properties, the £50 discount per licence adds up.

For a breakdown of exactly which discounts apply to your situation — including the multi-dwelling discount for landlords with several flats in one building — the Newham Landlord Licensing Guide includes a fee calculator worksheet covering every property type and discount combination.

See more England guides →