Newham Licensing Scheme Dates: 2023-2028 Designation Timeline

Newham's property licensing schemes run on fixed five-year cycles, and the current ones are past their midpoint. If you hold a licence or need to apply for one, the scheme dates affect when your licence was granted, how long it lasts, and what happens when the designation period ends.

The Current Scheme Dates

Newham currently operates two locally designated schemes alongside the national Mandatory HMO regime:

Selective Licensing: 1 June 2023 to 31 May 2028. Covers single-family lets and properties with up to two unrelated sharers in 21 of 23 wards.

Additional HMO Licensing: 1 June 2023 to 31 May 2028. Covers properties with 3-4 people from two or more households in the same 21 wards.

Mandatory HMO Licensing: No expiry date. This is a national statutory regime under Part 2 of the Housing Act 2004, expanded on 1 October 2018. It applies borough-wide to properties with five or more people from two or more households, including in Royal Victoria and Stratford Olympic Park.

The two excluded wards for Selective and Additional licensing are Royal Victoria and Stratford Olympic Park.

Newham's Licensing History

This is Newham's third consecutive five-year cycle of Selective and Additional licensing. The borough has maintained continuous schemes since its first designation, making it one of the longest-running licensing authorities in England. Each renewal has required a formal designation process, including public consultation and council approval.

A significant change came on 23 December 2024, when the Housing Act 2004: Licensing of Houses in Multiple Occupation and Selective Licensing of Other Residential Accommodation (England) General Approval 2024 removed the requirement for local authorities to obtain Secretary of State confirmation before introducing a selective licensing scheme of any size. Councils must still meet the statutory requirements and consult for at least 10 weeks. Newham — and other councils — can now renew or expand schemes without central government sign-off.

How Scheme Dates Affect Your Licence

A standard property licence in Newham is issued for up to five years. But the scheme expiry date can interact with your licence term in several ways:

Licence issued early in the cycle. If you received a five-year licence shortly after 1 June 2023, it could run until mid-2028 — right around when the scheme designation expires.

Licence issued later in the cycle. If you apply now and receive a five-year licence, its expiry would extend into 2031 — well beyond the current scheme's 31 May 2028 end date.

Does the licence survive the scheme? Yes. First-tier Tribunal decisions have established that a licence granted during a scheme's term remains valid until its individual expiry date, even if the overarching designation lapses. If the council doesn't renew the scheme in 2028, existing licences continue until they individually expire.

Shortened licences. Where the council identifies management concerns, late applications, or Fit and Proper issues, it can issue a one-year licence instead of the standard five years. An online renewal may be available if the original application was submitted after 15 May 2023, the licence is still issued, the licence holder is unchanged, and you can access the original My Newham account.

What Happens in 2028

If Newham renews the Selective and Additional schemes (which it has done twice before), a new five-year cycle would begin. Landlords whose licences expire during the transition would need to reapply under the new designation. If the scheme is not renewed, only the Mandatory HMO regime would continue — and the selective and additional licensing obligations would fall away for properties below the five-person threshold.

Given Newham's track record and the removal of the Secretary of State approval requirement, renewal is widely expected. But until a new designation is formally made, no one can guarantee it.

Key Dates for Your Calendar

• 31 May 2028: Current Selective and Additional scheme designations expire
• 12 months before your licence expiry: Start gathering updated safety certificates for renewal
• 15 December 2026 onward: National PRS Database registration begins rolling out (separate from borough licensing)

Our Newham landlord licensing guide includes a renewal timeline and calendar template for tracking scheme dates, licence expiry, and certificate renewals.

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