Camden renews HMO licensing scheme to drive up housing standards for private renters
Camden Council has renewed its licensing scheme for Houses in Multiple Occupation (HMOs), extending it for a further five years until December 2030.
Since the scheme’s introduction in 2015, it has helped improve standards in Camden’s private rented sector by ensuring safer, better-managed shared housing.
The decision follows a 10-week public consultation that showed strong support from residents and tenants for the scheme’s renewal. The consultation received over 800 responses - with 58% supporting renewal, including 75% of private tenants.
Landlords are required to hold an additional licence if they own or manage an HMO in Camden – which include shared homes and flat shares, student housing, bedsits, and some buildings converted to flats.
A recent review found that 94% of licensed HMOs in Camden required work to meet suitable living standards, with the most common improvements relating to fire and electrical safety, damp and mould prevention, and cooking and washing facilities.
In 80% of cases the Landlord either commenced or completed the works that were required to bring their property up to standard.
The scheme has also helped the Council act against landlords who fail to meet legal standards, with more than 200 Civil Penalty Notices issued and over £300,000 in court fines secured since the scheme began in 2015.
Everyone deserves a safe place to call home. With over a third of households in our borough privately renting, it’s crucial that we are able to help ensure that these homes meet decent standards of safety and management.
Renewing our additional HMO licensing scheme means we can keep improving housing conditions, hold landlords to account, and protect the thousands of residents living in shared housing in Camden. Though, this isn’t just about enforcement – it’s about fairness, safety, and making sure everyone has a decent home.
Changes to the scheme following the consultation include two-year licences for landlords where there are concerns about management or property condition and new conditions on waste management responsibilities.
For more information about the HMO licensing scheme visit camden.gov.uk/houses-multiple-occupation.
For support available to private renters in Camden visit: privaterenters.camden.gov.uk.