How to Check a London Landlord, Letting Agent and Property Licence
Answer first: Establish who is offering the home, check the London enforcement checker and the relevant council's licensing register, then verify the agent and safety documents. Each check answers a different question. No matching enforcement record does not mean that a landlord or property has been approved.
1. Record the exact property and people
Keep the address including flat number, the advertiser's business name, the proposed landlord's name and the payment recipient. Ask whether the advertiser is the owner, a letting agent, a management company or an existing tenant. Verify contact details independently rather than through only a forwarded message.
If the agreement, advert and payment instructions use different names, ask what connects them. A trading name can differ from a company name, but you need to understand the relationship before paying. A company registration alone is not a certificate of authority to let a particular flat.
2. Search the GLA enforcement checker
Use the Rogue Landlord and Agent Checker. The GLA describes it as a record of relevant prosecutions, fines and offences submitted by London councils and participating bodies, including agent redress schemes and the London Fire Brigade.
Search both the person's and business's names. Read dates and the actual finding, and check that the record concerns the same person. The checker is an enforcement-history resource, not a complete list of every complaint or every landlord. No result is not evidence of safety.
3. Find the responsible council and licensing scheme
Start with GOV.UK's postcode council finder. On that council's official website, locate “private rented property licensing” and its public register. Check which scheme applies to the address, household and proposed arrangement.
| Check | What it helps establish |
|---|---|
| Mandatory HMO licensing | Whether a large shared home falls within the national requirement |
| Additional HMO licensing | Whether the council covers smaller shared properties |
| Selective licensing | Whether other rented homes in a designated area need a licence |
| Public register / licensing team | Status for the exact address and licence holder |
GOV.UK describes a large HMO as housing at least five people forming more than one household who share facilities; these require a licence. Smaller HMOs may also need licensing locally. Do not assume that every shared flat has the same requirement or that a whole-home tenancy is automatically exempt from all council schemes.
If the register has no match, ask the licensing team whether a licence is required, an application is pending, an exemption applies, or the address is recorded differently. Keep its response. The advert's statement “HMO licensed” is a lead to verify, not the verification itself.
4. Check an agent through its redress scheme
Ask which approved redress scheme the letting agent belongs to and verify membership using that scheme's own search. GOV.UK's redress guidance explains the requirement for covered letting agents and property managers. Membership gives a route for eligible complaints; it does not mean every property has been inspected or every payment request is legitimate.
5. Ask about the home's safety and agreement
Official landlord-safety guidance covers gas, electrical and fire safety. Ask for the relevant gas safety record where gas applies, electrical inspection information, and the home's EPC. Check that each document concerns the exact address. Inspect visible damp, ventilation, exits and alarm arrangements during a viewing; a certificate does not answer every condition question.
Identify whether you are a tenant or lodger, then check the holding-deposit and tenancy-fee rules. Keep copies of documents, promises and receipts. For unresolved licensing questions, contact the council; for legal remedies, get advice about your particular arrangement before starting a claim.
Checking FAQs
Does no result in the GLA checker mean the landlord is safe?
No. It means you did not find a matching published record. Verify identity, authority, licensing and the offered home separately.
What if a property's licence is missing from the register?
Ask the council licensing team about the exact address and household. A pending application, exemption or address variation may explain it; do not infer the answer from an advert alone.
Sources
Checked 1 October 2026: GLA enforcement checker, GOV.UK council finder, HMO guidance, agent redress schemes, and landlord safety responsibilities. Council scheme boundaries and registers change; verify them for the address at the time you apply. Find homes through London search and the rental-site comparison.