HMO Licence in Redbridge: Fee, Who Needs One and How to Apply

The fee, from Redbridge’s own page

'For applications submitted 1 April 2026 to 31 March 2027. The licence fee is payable in two parts. You'll get a £35 discount on the second part of the fee if you show proof of your landlord accreditation when you apply. Number of households | First stage fee | Second stage fee | Total fee. 2: £696.14 £1169.20 £1865.34. 3: £696.14 £1273.46 £1969.60. 4: £696.14 £1392.28 £2088.42. 5: £696.14 £1489.81 £2185.95. 6: £696.14 £1600.79 £2296.93. 7: £696.14 £1705.04 £2401.18. 8: £696.14 £1810.42 £2506.56. 9: £696.14 £1921.39 ...' (table continues).

Explicit fee-year window quoted (1 April 2026 to 31 March 2027). fee_new_gbp uses the 5-household row (£2,185.95) as the national mandatory threshold;

Redbridge’s new-licence fee sits above the median of the 34 councils whose fee we could read from their own pages (£1,364). The cheapest verified is Islington at £288 and the dearest Lambeth at £2,530; fee structures differ — some charge per room or in occupancy bands, so a large HMO can cost far more than the headline figure above.

Who needs a licence in Redbridge

The national rule is the same everywhere in England and Wales — gov.uk: “You must have a licence if you’re renting out a large HMO in England or Wales. Your property is defined as a large HMO if all of the following apply: it is rented to 5 or more people who form more than 1 household; some or all tenants share toilet, bathroom or kitchen facilities; at least 1 tenant pays rent (or their employer pays it for them).” … “A licence is valid for a maximum of 5 years. You must renew your licence before it runs out. You need a separate licence for each HMO you run.” Whether a smaller shared house needs a licence depends on whether the council runs an additional or selective scheme:

Additional licensing (smaller HMOs): yes. Not specified in the extracted excerpt (this fee table appears to cover HMOs generally by 'number of households' starting at 2, which suggests it may combine mandatory and additional licensing under one schedule). Fee £1,970. The table starting at '2 households' (£1,865.34) likely covers what other councils would call additional/small HMO licensing, and the 5-household row (£2,185.95) the mandatory threshold -- not explicitly split into separate mandatory vs additional sections in the extracted text, so interpret with care. Check the scheme map before letting to three or four sharers.

Selective licensing (all private lets in an area): not confirmed either way on the pages we read — check the council’s licensing pages before letting to fewer than five.

Letting a licensable HMO without a licence is an offence; the penalties, rent repayment orders and the fee’s tax treatment are on the HMO licence in England guide.

The Redbridge numbers around an HMO

• How many HMOs: the council estimated 2,000 HMOs in Redbridge, of which 1,330 were mandatory-licensable and 998 licences had been issued (LAHS 2024-25, MHCLG) — every council’s figures.
• Rents: the average 4+-bedroom rent in Redbridge is £2,707 a month (ONS, July 2026) against £1,724 across all sizes — rents, prices and yield in Redbridge.
• EPC: 39% of EPCs lodged here in the last year were below band C, the level a rented home needs by 1 October 2030 (EPC ratings in Redbridge).
• Council tax: Band D is £2,295 for 2026/27; in an HMO let room by room the landlord is usually the liable person (council tax in Redbridge).

How to apply

Applications go to the council, not to a national body. Have the floor plans, gas and electrical certificates, fire-safety details and the manager’s details ready; most councils take a non-refundable first payment on submission and the balance on grant (the quote above shows where Redbridge splits its fee, if it does).

Apply or check on Redbridge’s site

All councils compared · Student HMOs and Ground 4A · Renters’ Rights Act rules