Waltham Forest Licensing Scheme 2025–2030: What Changed and What Landlords Must Do
The 2025–2030 Schemes Replaced the Previous Designations
Waltham Forest Council renewed both its discretionary licensing schemes following Cabinet approval on 9 July 2024. The predecessor schemes ran from 2020 to 2025 and expired in early 2025. The replacements started immediately:
| Scheme | Previous scheme ended | New scheme started | New scheme expires |
|---|---|---|---|
| Additional HMO licensing | 31 March 2025 | 1 April 2025 | 31 March 2030 |
| Selective licensing | 30 April 2025 | 1 May 2025 | 30 April 2030 |
| Mandatory HMO licensing | N/A (permanent statutory requirement) | N/A | N/A |
Mandatory HMO licensing is not a local designation — it runs permanently under Part 2 of the Housing Act 2004, borough-wide. The local schemes are the selective and additional HMO designations, both made under the Housing Act 2004 (Part 3 for selective, Part 2 Section 56 for additional).
What the General Approval 2024 Changed
Before December 2024, local authorities that wanted to introduce selective licensing covering more than 20% of their area or private rented stock needed Secretary of State confirmation — a process that could delay schemes by years. The Housing Act 2004 General Approval 2024, which came into force on 23 December 2024, removed that requirement for designations of that scale, provided the authority conducts at least 10 weeks' statutory consultation. Other statutory requirements still apply.
For Waltham Forest, this was significant. The borough's selective scheme covers 20 of its 22 wards. The 2024 General Approval meant the council could renew without central government sign-off, and it did so with no gap between the old and new designations.
Coverage Under the New Schemes
The geographic scope carried over from the predecessor schemes:
- Selective licensing covers 20 of 22 wards. The two excluded wards are Hatch Lane & Highams Park North and Endlebury.
- Additional HMO licensing covers all 22 wards borough-wide.
- Mandatory HMO licensing covers all 22 wards (national requirement).
Waltham Forest's private rented sector represents approximately 27.8% of all households, dominated by pre-1919 Victorian and Edwardian terraces (41% of housing stock) and converted or purpose-built flats (48%).
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What Landlords Need to Do
If you held a licence under the 2020–2025 scheme: Your old licence does not automatically roll over. You need to submit a fresh application under the new scheme designation. Landlords who held a valid licence at the point of transition should have received a renewal notice from the council.
If you are a new landlord or have just acquired a property: Apply through the council's Metastreet portal. A licence granted during the current scheme runs for up to 5 years — either its own 5-year term or the scheme's expiry date (30 April 2030 for selective, 31 March 2030 for additional), whichever comes first.
If you missed the transition: Enforcement does not pause between scheme renewals. Operating a licensable property without a licence is an offence regardless of whether the old scheme expired and the new one has only just started. Civil penalties under the Renters' Rights Act 2025 now reach up to £40,000 per offence.
The full application process — ward checks, documents, fees and portal workflow — is covered in our Waltham Forest landlord licensing guide.
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