Council Selective Licensing London — Electrical Checklist by Borough

EICR less than 5 years old, marked satisfactory, from an NICEIC or NAPIT Approved Contractor. Every borough requires this without exception.

Gas Safety (CP12) within 12 months, where the property has gas. Annual renewal.

EPC less than 10 years old, currently band E or higher (band C required by 1 October 2030 under MEES).

Smoke and CO alarm declaration — a written statement confirming working alarms on every storey and CO alarms in rooms with solid fuel or gas appliances. Required under the Smoke and CO Alarm Regulations 2022.

Newham, Croydon, Waltham Forest — three of the largest selective licensing schemes in London. All require PAT certificate for any provided electrical appliances. Most demand alarm system test records dated within the last 6 months.

Tower Hamlets, Hackney — newer schemes require explicit confirmation of Part P compliance for any electrical works since the licence application. Means keeping EICR + EIC for all post-application work.

Lewisham, Southwark — additional licensing for HMOs of 3+ persons typically requires annual EICR rather than 5-yearly. Plan accordingly.

Camden, Westminster, Islington — selective licensing is patchy by ward. Check the council's licensing map by postcode; if you fall inside, the EICR requirements track Newham's pattern.

Selective licensing rarely demands PAT in writing, but most councils request it on inspection if appliances are supplied (typical for furnished lets and HMOs). Budget £45–£80 for a 10-appliance PAT.

HMO mandatory licensing always requires PAT under the council's licence conditions. Renewal is typically annual or 'at change of tenancy'.

Test labels matter. A PAT certificate without test labels on individual appliances is rejected at inspection. Make sure your PAT contractor labels every item.

Self-PAT is legal under the IET Code of Practice but the tester must be 'competent'. Practically, councils accept third-party PAT by an NICEIC contractor as the gold standard.

MEES tightens to band C on 1 October 2030 for all rented homes in England. £30,000 civil penalty per breach per property. The £10,000 per-property spending cap remains.

Most pre-2008 London housing stock currently sits at band D or E. A typical Victorian terrace needs cavity wall (where applicable), loft insulation, smart heating controls, and often a heat pump or solar to reach band C.

Selective licensing applications from 2027 onwards are likely to require a band C EPC or a documented upgrade plan. Start the EPC + upgrade conversation now — 2030 is closer than it sounds.

Band C EPC + solar + battery + heat pump in a 2-bed flat in London: typically £25,000-35,000. Within the £10k MEES spending cap? No. But the cap is per property, lifetime, and includes BUS grant offsets that effectively double the budget.

PDF folder per property containing: EICR + verification screenshot, EPC + improvements report, CP12, PAT certificate, smoke/CO alarm test log, copies of all EIC and MWC for any post-licence works.

Physical copies on site — most council officers prefer hard copies in a folder on the kitchen counter. Saves 15 minutes per inspection and shows organisation.

Don't supply the rent book or tenancy agreement unless explicitly asked. Selective licensing officers are not housing officers — only the compliance docs are in scope.

If an officer raises a query they can't immediately resolve, they'll send a 14-day notice. Reply by email with PDFs the same day if possible — fast response reduces escalation risk.