DIY InventoryLetting a property in Croydon: a landlord’s guide
Licensing, certificates, deposits and the local figures for landlords letting in Croydon.
General information as at October 2026, not legal advice. Always check the council’s current scheme before letting.
Landlord licensing in Croydon
- Selective licensing: A new selective licensing scheme came into force on 25 September 2026 for five years, covering 14 of the 28 wards: Addiscombe East, Addiscombe West, Bensham Manor, Broad Green, Fairfield, Norbury & Pollards Hill, Norbury Park, Selhurst, South Croydon, South Norwood, Thornton Heath, Waddon, West Thornton and Woodside. (One earlier council notice gave 1 September 2026; the council's landlord pages use 25 September.)
- Additional HMO licensing: A new borough-wide additional HMO licensing scheme for HMOs with three or four people in two or more households came into force on 25 September 2026, for five years.
- Fees: £800 for a five-year selective licence (£480 on application + £320 before issue), with discounts for accredited landlords and EPC B or above (Croydon fee page, 2026).
Separately, every large HMO (5 or more people forming 2 or more households) needs a mandatory HMO licence anywhere in England. Source: Croydon Council.
Croydon Council: private renting and licensing
Safety certificates
- Gas Safety (CP12): every 12 months, by a Gas Safe registered engineer.
- EICR: at least every 5 years, by a qualified electrician.
- EPC: rated E or above, valid for 10 years.
- Alarms: a smoke alarm on every storey, and a carbon monoxide alarm in rooms with a fixed combustion appliance (not gas cookers).
Book a Gas Safety certificate, EICR or EPC in Croydon at a fixed price, and keep track of expiry dates in the free landlord dashboard.
Deposits and the inventory
Protect the deposit in the DPS, TDS or mydeposits within 30 days. At the end, the scheme decides any dispute on the evidence, above all the check-in compared with the check-out, so the inventory is what protects you.
What to record in Croydon homes
- In flats converted from offices in central Croydon, photograph window openings and restrictors, ventilation grilles and any signs of overheating or condensation in small rooms.
- In new-build towers, record fob, lift, bike store and post box key counts, and photograph the fire door, its closer and the heat interface unit.
- In Victorian terraces split into flats in Thornton Heath and Norbury, photograph the shared entrance and meter cupboards, and note which meters belong to the flat.
- Check sash and older timber windows in period conversions for rot, broken cords and draughts.
- In suburban houses in Purley and Coulsdon, photograph gardens, fences, garages and driveways, and note who maintains them.
Homes sold in Croydon in the last 12 months
| Type | Sales | Average price |
|---|---|---|
| Flat or maisonette | 1,031 | £271,199 |
| Terraced | 926 | £440,642 |
| Semi-detached | 558 | £550,217 |
| Detached | 302 | £779,939 |
| Other | 126 | £1,276,856 |
HM Land Registry Price Paid Data since 27 October 2025, updated monthly. Look up any address in the free property report.
Letting in Croydon: questions
Is there selective licensing in Croydon?
A new selective licensing scheme came into force on 25 September 2026 for five years, covering 14 of the 28 wards: Addiscombe East, Addiscombe West, Bensham Manor, Broad Green, Fairfield, Norbury & Pollards Hill, Norbury Park, Selhurst, South Croydon, South Norwood, Thornton Heath, Waddon, West Thornton and Woodside. (One earlier council notice gave 1 September 2026; the council's landlord pages use 25 September.) Check the council’s page before letting: schemes are renewed and changed every few years.
What certificates does a landlord need in Croydon?
A Gas Safety certificate every 12 months (where there is gas), an electrical safety report (EICR) at least every 5 years, and a valid EPC rated E or above, plus working smoke alarms on every storey and carbon monoxide alarms by fixed combustion appliances.
How long do I have to protect a deposit?
30 days from receiving it, in the DPS, TDS or mydeposits, with the prescribed information given to the tenant in the same 30 days.
Do I need an inventory as a landlord in Croydon?
It isn’t a legal requirement, but without a signed check-in record it is very hard to claim anything from the deposit at the end. With DIY Inventory you can do it yourself for £30, or send your tenant a link to do it.