Do you need a landlord licence in Tower Hamlets?

Whether you need a licence to let a property in Tower Hamlets depends on the type of property and exactly where it is. Tower Hamlets (London), like every English council, must license larger HMOs, and it can also designate areas for additional or selective licensing. Here’s what each means, what happens if you get it wrong, and how to check Tower Hamlets’s current rules.

Licensing in Tower Hamlets as at 25 September 2026

Tower Hamlets runs selective licensing (Weavers, Whitechapel, and Banglatown & Spitalfields wards, from 1 October 2021 until 30 September 2026) and additional HMO licensing (borough-wide, from 1 April 2024 until 31 March 2029), on top of mandatory HMO licensing.

Selective licensing

Area: Weavers, Whitechapel, and Banglatown & Spitalfields wards

Scheme dates: From 1 October 2021 until 30 September 2026

Fee: £897 online for a new licence, or Part A £422 + Part B £530 in two parts

Additional HMO licensing

Area: Borough-wide

Scheme dates: From 1 April 2024 until 31 March 2029

Fee: £1,323 online in one payment, or Part A £618 + Part B £787.50 if paid in two parts

Mandatory HMO licensing
Applies everywhere in Tower Hamlets, as across England, to HMOs let to five or more people forming two or more households.

Tower Hamlets says that from 1 October 2026 there will be no selective licensing scheme in the borough and it will not accept new selective applications after 30 September 2026; existing licences stay valid until they expire. It says it is considering options for a new scheme.

Sources (checked 25 September 2026)

Designations and fees change. Confirm your exact address and the live fee with Tower Hamlets before you apply.

The three types of licence

  • Mandatory HMO licence. Required across England for larger HMOs — typically a property let to five or more people forming two or more households who share a kitchen, bathroom or toilet. This applies in Tower Hamlets regardless of any local scheme.
  • Additional HMO licence. Tower Hamlets can extend HMO licensing to smaller HMOs in designated parts of its area.
  • Selective licence. Tower Hamlets can require a licence for all privately rented homes — including ordinary single-family lets — within a designated area. Larger schemes need government approval, and they’re used in areas with specific housing or anti-social-behaviour concerns.

The penalties for renting unlicensed in Tower Hamlets

Letting a property that needs a licence without one is a criminal offence. You risk an unlimited fine or a civil penalty of up to £40,000, a rent repayment order of up to 24 months’ rent, and a possible banning order. (Those are the limits for offences on or after 1 May 2026, when the Renters’ Rights Act raised them from £30,000 and 12 months.)

How to check Tower Hamlets's current schemes

Designations change, so always confirm the live position. Search Tower Hamlets’s website for “property licensing” or “landlord licensing”, check whether your postcode falls inside a designated area, and note the licence type, the boundaries and the scheme dates. If in doubt, contact Tower Hamlets’s private-sector housing team before you let. The summary above was checked against Tower Hamlets’s own licensing page on 25 September 2026.

Never miss a licensing deadline

LandlordReady tracks the licences and certificates each of your properties needs and warns you before they lapse — so a renewal or a new Tower Hamlets scheme doesn’t catch you out.

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Frequently asked questions

Do I need a licence to rent out a property in Tower Hamlets?

As at 25 September 2026, Tower Hamlets runs selective licensing (Weavers, Whitechapel, and Banglatown & Spitalfields wards, from 1 October 2021 until 30 September 2026) and additional HMO licensing (borough-wide, from 1 April 2024 until 31 March 2029), on top of mandatory HMO licensing. If your property is in a selective licensing area, you need a licence for any privately rented home there — including an ordinary single let — unless it is exempt or licensed as an HMO. If you let an HMO that doesn't need a mandatory licence and falls within additional licensing (borough-wide), it needs an additional HMO licence. A larger HMO (five or more people, two or more households) needs a mandatory HMO licence anywhere in Tower Hamlets. Check your exact address on Tower Hamlets's licensing page before you let.

How much does a landlord licence cost in Tower Hamlets?

Tower Hamlets's published fees as at 25 September 2026: Selective licence: £897 online for a new licence, or Part A £422 + Part B £530 in two parts. Additional HMO licence: £1,323 online in one payment, or Part A £618 + Part B £787.50 if paid in two parts. Fees are set by the council and can change, so confirm the current figure before you apply.

What happens if I rent without a required licence in Tower Hamlets?

Renting an unlicensed property that needs a licence is a criminal offence. You can face an unlimited fine or a civil penalty of up to £40,000, and a rent repayment order of up to 24 months' rent (the limits for offences on or after 1 May 2026).

Check landlord licensing in other areas.