Thurrock Council Introduce Selective Licensing Scheme – is your property affected?

Thurrock Council are introducing a new selective licensing scheme for rental homes within certain regions of borough. The idea is to have the information available for these properties for the purpose of landlord compliance as the Renters Right Bill comes into effect on the 1st May 2026.

Thurrock Council is not the first to introduce such a scheme as Barking and Dagenham have had a selective licensing scheme since April 2025 and previously required a property license for rental homes, with the new selective licensing scheme Barking and Dagenham do offer discounts for landlords compliance.

Both councils also require separate HMO licenses (Housing in Multiple Occupation) and you will need to refer to their guidance on this as not all councils require this and have varying definitions of an HMO.

Start dates

• Applications accepted from 1 November 2025

• Scheme legally enforced from 5 January 2026

Licence details

• Cost: £1,034.90

• Duration: Up to 5 years

Who needs a Selective Licence

• Landlords renting out privately rented residential properties in designated wards

• Applies to non-HMO properties (i.e. not Mandatory or Additional HMO)

• Covers all household types: single people, couples, and families

• Required regardless of property size or number of occupants

Designated wards

• Selective licensing applies in 16 of Thurrock’s 20 wards

• Exempt wards (no licence required):

  1. Little Thurrock Blackshots

  2. Orsett

  3. Stifford Clays

  4. The Homesteads

You can also review the map below to see if your home is in the designated area:

Consequences of non-compliance

• Civil penalties up to £30,000

• Possible prosecution, unlimited fines, and loss of right to operate

Exemptions

Some properties do not require a Selective Licence, including:

• Properties managed by public bodies (Council, Police, Fire, NHS)

• Certain student accommodation

• Holiday homes

• Owner-occupied properties with up to two lodgers

• Properties let to certain relatives

• Long leasehold properties occupied by the owner or their family

Landlords claiming full exemption must submit a Declaration of Exemption with evidence to the council.

Definition of a Family Member

Includes:

• Couples (married, civil partners, or cohabiting)

• Relatives such as parents, children, siblings, grandparents, uncles/aunts, nieces/nephews, and first cousins

• Stepchildren and half-siblings are treated the same as biological relatives

Types of Property Licensing in Thurrock

1. Mandatory HMO Licensing

   • Applies to HMOs with 5+ people from 2+ households

   • Licence required across Thurrock

   • Up to 5-year licence

   • Penalties up to £30,000 or prosecution if unlicensed

2. Additional HMO Licensing

   • Applies to HMOs with 3–4 people from 2+ households

   • In force from 7 September 2025

   • Covers all wards

   • 5-year scheme

3. Selective Licensing

   • Applies to non-HMO private rentals in designated wards

   • Enforceable from January 2026

   • Licence lasts up to 5 years

   • Civil penalties, prosecution, and rent repayment orders possible for breaches

The scheme also raises funds for the council, whilst adding further expenses to existing landlords who have been regular targets of government regulations, reducing tax benefits and adding expenses to private rentals. Thurrock Council have been in significant debt, having overspent in areas that have not brought any return and as a result have also increased council tax, reduced services and introducing various taxes and schemes to claw back funds.

Should your rental property fall into one of the selective licensing schemes areas for Thurrock you can apply here.

If you would like any assistance with applying you can reach out to us here.