Property Licensing in Romford, Hornchurch, Upminster, Rainham and Harold Wood

Different Towns, Different Rules

The London Borough of Havering covers a large area of outer East London, from Romford in the centre to Upminster in the east and Rainham in the south. Licensing rules vary depending on which ward your property falls in — and ward boundaries don't always match the town boundaries people use in everyday conversation.

Since 18 March 2026, every privately rented home in Havering is potentially covered by one of three licensing schemes. The critical variable is whether your property sits in one of the seven wards designated for selective licensing, or in the remaining 13 that are covered only by the borough-wide HMO schemes.

Romford

Romford straddles several wards, and different parts of the town have different licensing requirements.

Properties in St Albans and St Edwards wards — which cover parts of central and east Romford — fall within the selective licensing area. Single-family lets, couples, and small tenancies in these wards need a selective licence (£950 standard fee).

Other parts of Romford fall in wards like Romford Town or Mawneys, which are outside the selective designation. Properties there don't need a selective licence, but still require an additional or mandatory HMO licence if the occupancy meets the HMO threshold (three or more people from two or more households sharing facilities).

Hornchurch

Most of Hornchurch falls outside the seven selective licensing wards. Properties let to single households, couples, or small tenancies in non-selective wards don't need a local licence. However, HMO properties throughout Hornchurch — shared houses with three or more tenants from multiple households — need either an additional HMO licence (Scheme 3, borough-wide) or a mandatory HMO licence if the property has five or more people.

Parts of Hornchurch near the Squirrels Heath ward boundary may fall within the selective licensing area. The only way to confirm is the address-level lookup on Havering's Property Licensing Portal.

Upminster

Upminster sits in wards that are outside the selective licensing designation. For standard single-family lets, no local property licence is required. The borough-wide additional HMO licensing (Scheme 3) and mandatory HMO licensing still apply if the property is a shared house meeting the occupancy thresholds.

Rainham

Rainham and Wennington is one of the seven designated selective licensing wards. Single-family lets and small tenancies in this ward need a selective licence. This covers most of the Rainham area, but properties near the ward boundary with non-selective wards should be checked individually through the portal.

Shared houses in Rainham that meet HMO thresholds need the appropriate HMO licence rather than a selective one — the HMO schemes override selective licensing in the statutory hierarchy.

Harold Wood

Harold Wood is another designated selective licensing ward. Properties let to single households in this area require a selective licence. The ward covers the area around Harold Wood station and extends toward Ardleigh Green.

Under the previous scheme (2021–2026), Harold Wood was not covered by selective licensing — this is a new requirement from March 2026. Landlords who have been letting properties in Harold Wood without a licence under the old scheme need to apply under the new designation.

The Postcode Trap

A Romford postcode (RM1, RM3, RM7) doesn't tell you which ward a property falls in. A single postcode area can span multiple wards with different licensing requirements. Two properties sharing a postcode on opposite sides of a street can have completely different obligations.

Always verify your property's ward using Havering's address-level lookup tool rather than relying on the postcode or the town name.

Next Steps

The Havering Landlord Licensing guide includes the full ward verification process, the four-step classification test to determine which licence applies, and the document checklist for whichever scheme your property needs.

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