DIY InventoryLetting a property in Lewisham: a landlord’s guide
Licensing, certificates, deposits and the local figures for landlords letting in Lewisham.
General information as at October 2026, not legal advice. Always check the council’s current scheme before letting.
Landlord licensing in Lewisham
- Selective licensing: Selective licensing covers most of the borough (three designations, from 1 July 2024 to 30 June 2029) for privately rented homes not covered by HMO licensing; Telegraph Hill and parts of Blackheath are not included.
- Additional HMO licensing: Additional HMO licensing covers the whole borough for HMOs let to three or four unrelated people (larger ones need a mandatory licence), from 5 April 2022 until 4 April 2027.
- Fees: A selective licence costs £640 for five years: £160 on application and £480 when it is granted, with discounts for accredited landlords and charities taken off the second payment.
Separately, every large HMO (5 or more people forming 2 or more households) needs a mandatory HMO licence anywhere in England. Source: Lewisham Council.
Lewisham 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 Lewisham 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 Lewisham homes
- Victorian conversions in Brockley and Forest Hill: photograph sash windows, cornices, fireplaces and any cracks in the ceilings.
- Student shared houses in New Cross: photograph each bedroom lock and furniture, the shared kitchen and the fire alarm and fire doors.
- Ex-council houses in Bellingham and Downham: photograph the garden, fences, sheds and outside drains, and check windows and doors close properly.
- New-build flats in Lewisham and Deptford: record fobs, bike store and bin store access, and photograph the ventilation unit and balcony.
- Flats on hillside streets: photograph steps, paths and boundary walls, and look for damp on walls built against the slope.
Homes sold in Lewisham in the last 12 months
| Type | Sales | Average price |
|---|---|---|
| Flat or maisonette | 1,137 | £370,249 |
| Terraced | 698 | £673,156 |
| Semi-detached | 186 | £767,834 |
| Other | 74 | £2,251,742 |
| Detached | 23 | £1,134,015 |
HM Land Registry Price Paid Data since 27 October 2025, updated monthly. Look up any address in the free property report.
Letting in Lewisham: questions
Is there selective licensing in Lewisham?
Selective licensing covers most of the borough (three designations, from 1 July 2024 to 30 June 2029) for privately rented homes not covered by HMO licensing; Telegraph Hill and parts of Blackheath are not included. Check the council’s page before letting: schemes are renewed and changed every few years.
What certificates does a landlord need in Lewisham?
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 Lewisham?
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.