Westminster landlords have been given just one month to secure selective licences as the council launches a massive expansion of its scheme, which will affect thousands of properties in 15 of the borough’s 18 wards.

The standard fee has been set at £995 – 17% higher than neighbouring Islington’s £850 charge and 42% above the £700 national average.

Landlords will pay £543 upfront to process their applications, with a further £452 to pay once they are approved. The upfront payment is non-refundable, which means Westminster will be able to keep over £500, even if it rejects the application.

The selective licensing scheme is about supporting responsible landlords and ensuring every resident in Westminster has access to safe, secure, and well-maintained housing.”

Councillor Matt Noble (pictured), Cabinet Member for Housing, says: “The selective licensing scheme is about supporting responsible landlords and ensuring every resident in Westminster has access to safe, secure, and well-maintained housing.”

Westminster offers discounts of 10% for accredited landlords and 20% for properties with EPC ratings of B or above, but landlords with multiple properties in the same building get just £125 off each one.

Landlords will lose those discounts, though, if the council has to chase twice for documents, if unlicensed properties are brought to the council’s attention, or if a warning letter is served for failure to license.

The scheme covers all privately rented properties except HMOs that are already covered under existing mandatory and additional licensing.

fines of up to £30,000

Those who fail to register face fines of up to £30,000. And Westminster has a robust track record of enforcement – over the last five years, it has served 1,369 statutory notices on landlords.

The council has justified the huge expansion of the existing scheme by claiming 43% of its private rented sector had serious hazards, one of London’s highest ratios.

And it has ignored warnings from Westminster Property Association that the scheme duplicates the incoming national landlord registration under the Renters’ Rights Bill and would drive landlords from the market.