Westminster Public Licence Register: How to Check if a Property Is Licensed

Before you sign a tenancy or remortgage a buy-to-let, you may want to confirm that a Westminster property actually holds the licence the landlord claims it does. Westminster City Council publishes a public register of granted licences — but finding the right record and interpreting what it shows requires knowing where the register sits and what it deliberately leaves out.

Where the Register Lives

Westminster's public licence register is hosted on the MetaStreet platform at westminster.metastreet.co.uk/public-register. The council's corporate website at westminster.gov.uk links to it from its selective licensing and HMO licensing pages, but the register itself runs on a separate system.

There is also a legacy register at licensing.westminster.gov.uk/sf/control/publicregister. This older portal still functions but requires exact keyword inputs — slight mismatches in street names or ward labels often return empty results even for licensed properties.

How to Search

The MetaStreet register is a public search for granted licences. If a search returns no result, also check the legacy register, where street names or ward labels may need exact matching.

The public register lists granted licences. Compare any result with the property details and licence documentation available to you.

What the Register Shows — and What It Does Not

The register only displays granted licences. That distinction matters because Westminster's application process has several stages: an application can be submitted, acknowledged as "duly made" and remain under assessment before it is formally granted. During that period, a duly made application protects the landlord from prosecution for operating without a licence under sections 72(4) and 95(3) of the Housing Act 2004, but the register shows nothing.

This means a search returning no result does not necessarily mean a property is unlicensed. It could be:

• Pending assessment: the application has been acknowledged as duly made and Part A paid, but the council has not yet issued the licence.
• In the exempt wards: properties in Pimlico South, St James's and Vincent Square do not need a selective licence. Properties with fewer than three occupants do not need a licence in those wards; borough-wide HMO licensing applies only when its occupant and household thresholds are met.
• Genuinely unlicensed: the landlord has not applied, which is a criminal offence if the property falls within a designated scheme.

The register is a snapshot of licence grants, not a full compliance record. It does not establish whether the landlord is meeting licence conditions or whether an enforcement issue exists.

Why Tenants and Buyers Check the Register

Tenants have a direct financial interest. If a property should be licensed but is not, the tenant may be entitled to apply for a rent repayment order through the First-tier Tribunal, recovering up to 24 months of rent. Checking the register before or during a tenancy establishes whether the landlord has met their obligation.

Mortgage lenders and surveyors routinely check licensing status during buy-to-let remortgages. A property that requires a licence but does not hold one can block a mortgage completion — several Westminster landlords have discovered their licensing gap only when a surveyor flagged it mid-transaction.

Prospective buyers of tenanted investment properties check the register to confirm that the current owner's licence is in place and to note the expiry date. Licences are non-transferable: when a property changes hands, the existing licence terminates and the new owner must apply and pay afresh.

If the Register Returns No Result

Start by verifying the property's ward using Westminster's GIS address lookup to confirm whether it falls within a designated licensing area. If it does and the register shows no licence, the property either has a pending application or is unlicensed. For certainty, contact the council's private sector housing team at [email protected] — they can confirm whether an application is in progress.

For a complete walkthrough of Westminster's three licensing schemes, the ward boundaries and application process, see the Westminster Landlord Licensing guide.

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