LetLens / Licensing by council / Camden
Landlord licensing in Camden
Mandatory HMO licensing applies across England, so a property in Camden let to five or more people forming two or more households, who share a kitchen, bathroom or toilet, needs a licence. Camden also runs additional HMO licensing, which can bring smaller HMOs, or every private rental, into licensing.
The licence you need turns on who lives in the property. Find the line that describes your let.
- Required by national lawThe same in all 296 English councils. Not a Camden decision.
Your propertyLet to 5 or more people forming 2 or more households who share a kitchen, bathroom or toilet
You needMandatory HMO licence In force England-wide
It costs£1,531, the same for an HMO of any size
WhereEverywhere in Camden, as everywhere in England. Scope, fee schedule and source
- What Camden requires on topSchemes this council chose to run, and what differs from the council next door.
Your propertyA smaller shared house the national scheme does not reach, typically 3 or 4 sharers forming 2 or more households
You needAdditional HMO licence In force
It costs£1,531, the same for an HMO of any size
WhereEverywhere in Camden. Scope, fee schedule and source
Your propertyLet privately inside a designated area, whether or not it is an HMO
You needNo selective licence No scheme
- Planning permission, a separate questionNot licensing. Whether you may create an HMO at all, decided by the council’s planning side.
Your planConverting a house (use class C3) into a small HMO (use class C4)
You needPlanning permission None in force
WhereNo direction here, so this is normally permitted development. The direction, its dates and its boundary
Each fee is for the example property named on its own line, from the council’s published schedule. The full schedules, discounts and surcharges are below.
Or open NW1 7SA, a postcode near the centre of Camden, to see what a full report looks like.
Each scheme in detail, and the evidence behind it
Which properties each scheme catches in Camden, in the council’s own words, with the designations in force, the whole published fee schedule and the source for every figure. The three regimes can stack: a property can need a licence under one and still be caught by another.
Mandatory HMO licensing In force England-wide
Licence fee, any size£1,531
- Where it applies
- National scheme
- Which properties
- 5 or more persons forming 2 or more households (any HMO as defined by Housing Act 2004 s254), regardless of number of storeys
The published fee schedule
- Fee
- £1,531
- Paid in two parts
- £1,297 on application, then £234 when the licence is granted
- Licence term
- Up to 5 years
- Fee schedule dated
- 2025/26 (from 24 April 2025)
Discounts
- Landlord accreditation discount (private accredited landlord who is proposed licence holder and owns the property; not companies/agents): £100
Other charges
- Purpose-built student accommodation total fee (Part 1 1297 + Part 2 84): £1,381
- Purpose-built student accommodation Part 2 fee: £84
Additional HMO licensing In force
Licence fee, any size£1,531
- Where it applies
- Council-wide
- Which properties
- All HMOs (Housing Act 2004 s254) occupied by 3 or more persons comprising 2 or more households, and s257 HMOs (buildings converted into flats not meeting Building Regulations 1991 standards) where less than half of the flats are owner-occupied; excludes properties already subject to mandatory licensing (s55(2)(a)), management orders, temporary exemptions, and buildings listed in annex C of the designation
- Designations in force
- London Borough of Camden Council Designation for an Area for Additional Licensing of Houses in Multiple Occupation 2025
- Designation period
- 8 December 2025 to 8 December 2030
The published fee schedule, identical to the mandatory scheme’s
- Fee
- £1,531
- Paid in two parts
- £1,297 on application, then £234 when the licence is granted
- Licence term
- Up to 5 years
- Fee schedule dated
- 2025/26 (from 24 April 2025)
Discounts
- Landlord accreditation discount (private accredited landlord who is proposed licence holder and owns the property; not companies/agents): £100
Other charges
- Purpose-built student accommodation total fee (Part 1 1297 + Part 2 84): £1,381
- Purpose-built student accommodation Part 2 fee: £84
Selective licensing No scheme
Article 4 and HMO planning permission in Camden None in force
No HMO Article 4 direction is in force in Camden, so converting a house into a small HMO occupied by no more than six residents (use class C4) is normally permitted development and does not need planning permission on those grounds. An HMO for seven or more residents falls outside class C4 and needs permission anyway.
The research note behind this verdict
What happens if you let without a licence
Letting or managing an unlicensed property that needs a licence is a criminal offence, under section 72 of the Housing Act 2004 for an HMO and section 95 for a property caught by selective licensing. A council can prosecute, or impose a civil penalty instead. For conduct on or after 1 May 2026 that penalty can be up to £40,000 per offence, raised from £30,000 by the Financial Penalties (Housing Offences and Breach of Banning Orders) Regulations 2026. Tenants and the council can also apply for a rent repayment order, which for conduct from the same date can claw back up to two years of rent, up from one, under section 103 of the Renters' Rights Act 2025.
Both of those maxima apply only to conduct on or after 1 May 2026. Earlier conduct is still judged against the old £30,000 and twelve-month limits. Each breach is normally penalised separately, so an unlicensed portfolio in Camden multiplies the exposure rather than capping it.
The letting market in Camden
Licensing is only one side of the sum. These are medians from real listings we have collected, with the number of listings behind each one, because a median over a handful of adverts is a different claim from a median over hundreds.
- Median room rent£1,169 pcmFrom 909 room listings in Camden.
- Median whole-property rent£2,861 pcmFrom 265 whole-property listings.
- Typical 4-bed rent£4,387 pcmThe comparison a room-by-room let is measured against.
- HMO income premium+33%Five rooms let individually against one four-bedroom whole-property let, before the extra cost, licensing and voids that come with an HMO.
- Median sale price£650,000Across 327 sales in 2026, all property types, HM Land Registry.
- Gross yield, whole let5.3%Median whole-property rent for a year against the median sale price. Before voids, management, repairs, licensing and finance, all of which a real return has to carry.
- Gross yield, 5-room HMO10.8%Five rooms at the median room rent against the same median sale price. The higher figure is what pays for the licence, the extra management and the higher voids, rather than being profit on top of them.
- Typical household income£50,566Mean of net small-area median incomes around the council's main listing areas, not a council-wide median.
- Postcodes with flood exposure0.0%0 of 8,197 indexed postcodes.
Room rent by outcode
Room rent varies by £167 a month across Camden’s outcodes, so the council-wide median above is a starting point rather than the answer for a particular street.
| Outcode | Median room rent | Room listings | Check a postcode |
|---|---|---|---|
| NW1 | £1,250 pcm | 457 | Check NW1 |
| NW6 | £1,084 pcm | 346 | Check NW6 |
| NW5 | £1,083 pcm | 93 | Check NW5 |
Postcode districts in Camden
Licensing, Article 4 and the fee all turn on the exact address, because a designated area rarely follows the council boundary. LetLens holds 8,197 Camden postcodes. Open one of its postcode districts to see the verdict, the local rent evidence and the investment model.
Common questions
Do I need an HMO licence in Camden?
Mandatory HMO licensing applies across England, so a property in Camden let to five or more people forming two or more households, who share a kitchen, bathroom or toilet, needs a licence. Camden also runs additional HMO licensing, which can bring smaller HMOs, or every private rental, into licensing. Additional HMO licensing applies across the whole council.
How much does an HMO licence cost in Camden?
£1,531 under the mandatory scheme, from the council's published fee schedule. The council charges the same whatever the size of the HMO. Any additional or selective scheme is priced separately.
Is there an Article 4 direction in Camden?
No HMO Article 4 direction is in force in Camden, so converting a house into a small HMO occupied by no more than six residents (use class C4) is normally permitted development and does not need planning permission on those grounds. An HMO for seven or more residents falls outside class C4 and needs permission anyway.
What is the penalty for letting an unlicensed property in Camden?
Letting or managing a property that needs a licence without one is a criminal offence under the Housing Act 2004. The council can prosecute or impose a civil penalty, which for conduct on or after 1 May 2026 can be up to £40,000 per offence, raised from £30,000 by the Financial Penalties (Housing Offences and Breach of Banning Orders) Regulations 2026. Tenants or the council can also seek a rent repayment order covering up to two years of rent for conduct from that date, up from one year, under section 103 of the Renters' Rights Act 2025. Each breach is normally penalised separately. Indicative only, not legal advice.
About Camden
Camden is a local housing authority in London, with a population of about 280,000 and 8,197 live postcodes indexed by LetLens. It is the licensing authority for every private rented property inside its boundary, and the local planning authority that decides whether an Article 4 direction applies.
Nearby councils
Licensing stops at the council boundary, so a street on the other side of it can carry a different scheme and a different fee.
Contact Camden
Camden licensing team · [email protected] · 020 7974 5969