Greenwich vs Lewisham — Landlord Licensing Compared

Side-by-side comparison of selective and additional HMO licensing in Greenwich and Lewisham. Reference data from each council's own pages and GOV.UK.

Adjacent south-east boroughs commonly compared by BTL investors.

Greenwich (Greater London)

• Selective licensing: Designated areas only. Selective licensing scheme in force across designated wards. Postcode lookup available on council site.
• Additional HMO licensing: Status not yet verified. Not yet independently verified — check the council page.
• Council licensing page: https://www.royalgreenwich.gov.uk/info/200172/housing/2397/selective_licensing_faqs
• Council HMO page: https://www.royalgreenwich.gov.uk/housing/letting-out-your-property/apply-private-rented-property-licence/how-much-property-licence
• Full reference page: https://letsentry.co.uk/council/greenwich

Lewisham (Greater London)

• Selective licensing: City-wide scheme in force. Borough-wide selective licensing covering nearly all 20,000 privately rented properties in Lewisham, in force from 1 July 2024.
• Additional HMO licensing: Status not yet verified. Not yet independently verified — check the council page.
• Council licensing page: https://lewisham.gov.uk/myservices/housing/private-tenants-and-landlords/landlords/selective-licensing
• Council HMO page: https://lewisham.gov.uk/myservices/housing/private-tenants-and-landlords/landlords/hmo/licensing-fees-for-houses-in-multiple-occupation--hmos
• Full reference page: https://letsentry.co.uk/council/lewisham

Mandatory HMO licensing applies in both areas: any HMO occupied by 5 or more people forming 2 or more households needs a licence anywhere in England.

Sources: - legislation.gov.uk — Housing Act 2004 — https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2004/34/contents - GOV.UK — House in multiple occupation (HMO) licence — https://www.gov.uk/house-in-multiple-occupation-licence

Last verified: 2026-06-28. Reference data only — always check each council's own page before applying.