Wandsworth Selective Licensing: Designations, Wards and What Landlords Need to Know

What Wandsworth Selective Licensing Covers

Wandsworth Borough Council operates two separate selective licensing designations under Part 3 of the Housing Act 2004. Both apply to privately rented properties let to a single household or up to two unrelated sharers — the properties that fall below the HMO threshold.

If you rent out a house or flat in one of the designated wards to a single household or up to two unrelated sharers, selective licensing is the scheme you need to worry about. Three or four people from two or more households who share amenities fall under Additional HMO licensing, while five or more fall under Mandatory HMO licensing.

Designation 1 launched on 1 July 2025 and runs until 30 June 2030. It covers four wards: Furzedown, South Balham, Tooting Bec, and Tooting Broadway. The early bird discount window for Designation 1 closed on 31 December 2025.

Designation 2 came into force on 1 April 2026 and expires on 31 March 2031. It covers three additional wards: East Putney, West Putney, and Northcote. The early bird discount for Designation 2 — a £159 reduction off the Part A fee — was available for applications submitted between 1 April and 1 October 2026.

Both designations were made under Wandsworth's powers in Part 3 of the Housing Act 2004. Changes to the Selective Licensing General Approval that came into force on 23 December 2024 removed the requirement for councils to get ministerial sign-off before licensing more than 20% of their area.

Which Wards Are in Each Designation

A common mistake is assuming your property is outside the boundary because the postal address says "Putney" or "Balham." Electoral ward boundaries don't match postal districts. A property on a street you'd call "Putney" might sit in the West Putney ward (Designation 2) or fall just outside it. The only reliable check is Wandsworth Council's online address lookup tool, which uses the Unique Property Reference Number (UPRN) to confirm the electoral ward.

Fees for a Selective Licence

The total standard fee for a selective licence is £885, split across two payments:

• Part A (application): £529 — non-refundable, paid when you submit the application
• Part B (grant): £356 — invoiced when the council decides to issue the licence

Several discounts can reduce the cost. NRLA, LLAS, UKALA, ARLA, RICS, or Safeagent accreditation knocks £104 off Part B. An EPC rating of B or above saves £104 off Part B; an EPC of C saves £52. If you're applying for multiple properties in the same block at once under the same licence holder, the multi-dwelling discount takes £104 off Part A per property.

All discounts require proof at the time of application. If the council has to chase you twice for missing documents or sends a formal warning letter, you lose every discount.

What Triggers the Requirement

A selective licence is needed when all three conditions are met: the property is in one of the seven designated wards, it is privately rented, and the occupants don't form an HMO. That means:

• A single person renting a flat in Tooting Broadway — selective licence needed
• A couple renting a house in East Putney — selective licence needed
• Two unrelated friends sharing a flat in Furzedown — selective licence needed (two sharers from two households is below the HMO threshold)
• Three unrelated sharers in Northcote — this is an HMO, so the property needs an additional HMO licence instead, not a selective licence

Properties outside the seven wards and non-HMO lets need no licence at all under the current designations.

How to Check and Apply

Start on the Wandsworth Council property licence check page. Enter the full address or UPRN to confirm the ward. If the property sits in a designated ward, you'll apply through the Regulatory Services Hub portal. The application asks for the proposed licence holder's details, fit-and-proper declarations, an EICR, gas safety certificate, EPC, tenancy agreement, and proof that you've notified any mortgagees or freeholders.

The complete application process — documents, portal steps, and fee timing — is covered in our Wandsworth Landlord Licensing guide, which walks through the entire workflow from address check to licence grant.

What Happens If You Don't Apply

Operating without a selective licence in a designated ward is a criminal offence under Section 95 of the Housing Act 2004. For offences committed on or after 1 May 2026, Wandsworth can impose civil penalties of up to £40,000 per offence. For offences committed from that date, a Rent Repayment Order can require repayment of up to two years' rent. Section 21 no-fault notices have also been abolished for private rented tenancies under the Renters' Rights Act 2025; landlords must rely on an applicable statutory ground to seek possession.

If you own a rental property in any of the seven wards and haven't applied yet, the step-by-step guide covers exactly what you need, in what order, and how to stack the available discounts.

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