Redbridge Public Register: How to Check If a Property Is Licensed

Both landlords and tenants use Redbridge's public register to check whether a property holds a valid licence. The register is useful, but it has reliability issues that can make a licensed property look unlicensed — and that gap creates risk for landlords.

How to Search the Register

The public register is available at propertylicensing.redbridge.gov.uk under the online application section. You enter a property address or postcode and the system returns the licensing status: licensed, application pending, or no record found.

The register covers all three licensing types — selective, additional HMO, and mandatory HMO. It shows the licence holder's name, the property address, and the licence status.

When the Register Shows Nothing

A "no record found" result does not necessarily mean the property is unlicensed. The register has experienced technical migration issues that have left some records incomplete or temporarily unavailable. Properties with valid licences have appeared as unlicensed during system maintenance periods.

For landlords, this is a practical risk: a tenant checking the register during a maintenance window could conclude the property is unlicensed and begin a rent repayment order claim. The tenant's belief is irrelevant at tribunal — what matters is whether a valid licence or application actually exists — but an RRO claim costs time and money to defend even when you're in the right.

Checking Your Application Status

If you've submitted an application and want to confirm the council received it, the most reliable method is your portal account. Log in to propertylicensing.redbridge.gov.uk and check the status of your application using the 10-digit tracking code issued at submission.

If the portal is down or your account shows outdated information, email the licensing team directly at [email protected] with your tracking code and property address. Keep the council's acknowledgement email as evidence of your submission date.

Building Your Own Evidence Trail

Given the register's intermittent reliability, landlords should maintain independent records:

• Save the automated acknowledgement email sent when you submitted your application
• Screenshot the portal confirmation page showing your tracking code
• Keep copies of the Part A payment receipt
• Record the date and content of any correspondence with the licensing team

If a tenant or the council ever questions your licensing status, this paper trail proves when you applied and that a valid application was on record — regardless of what the public register displayed at any given moment.

What Tenants See

Tenants searching the register can see whether a property is licensed and who holds the licence. Advice services including Shelter and Citizens Advice direct tenants to the register as the first step in checking whether they can claim a rent repayment order.

A growing number of tenants in Redbridge are aware of this route, particularly following high-profile enforcement cases in the Ilford area. The practical implication for landlords: assume your tenants will check, and make sure your licence or application is on record.

The Redbridge Landlord Licensing Guide includes an application submission log template designed to create exactly this kind of evidence trail — dates, reference numbers, and correspondence records in one place.

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