I am an accredited domestic energy assessor covering all of Southwark: Borough, Bankside and Elephant and Castle (SE1), Walworth (SE17), Bermondsey and Rotherhithe (SE16), Camberwell (SE5), Peckham and Nunhead (SE15), East Dulwich (SE22) and Dulwich (SE21). There is no travel surcharge anywhere inside Greater London, and same-day and next-day visits are usually available.
| Households (2021 census) | 130,820 |
|---|---|
| Rented privately | 28.7% (London 30.0%) |
| Owned outright or with a mortgage | 28.9% (London 45.2%) |
| Social rented | 39.7% (London 23.1%) |
| Households living in a flat | 78.0% (London 54.0%) |
| …of which in a converted house | 9.6% of all households (London 11.1%) |
| Households in a house | 21.8% (London 45.9%) |
| Typical (median) EPC score | 74, band C (London 70) |
| Homes with an EPC rated C or above | 69% (London 58%) |
| Selective licence | 19 of the borough’s wards |
| Additional HMO licence (3 or more people, 2 or more households) | Whole borough, 1 March 2022 to 1 March 2027 |
| Usual licence length | 5 years; 1 or 3 years where management is poor |
Sources: Census 2021, Office for National Statistics, tables TS054 (tenure) and TS044 (accommodation type) via Nomis; London means the 33 local authorities added together. Licensing: Southwark Council’s property licensing pages (overview, additional, selective and enforcement) and its additional licensing designation notice of 28 October 2021, checked 22 October 2026. EPC figures: ONS, “Energy efficiency of housing in England and Wales” (28 October 2025), the latest certificate for each home lodged in the ten years to March 2025, at the score when it was assessed; homes without an EPC are not counted.
Southwark’s licences: selective, additional and mandatory
- Selective licensing covers every privately rented home not covered by HMO licensing in 19 wards: Camberwell Green, Champion Hill, Chaucer, Dulwich Hill, Dulwich Wood, Faraday, Goose Green, London Bridge and West Bermondsey, Newington, North Walworth, Nunhead & Queens Road, Old Kent Road, Peckham, Peckham Rye, Rotherhithe, Rye Lane, South Bermondsey, St Giles and Surrey Docks. The council’s interactive map shows whether an address is inside.
- Additional licensing covers the whole borough from 1 March 2022 to 1 March 2027: houses in multiple occupation with three or more people in two or more households that are not under mandatory licensing, including shared homes let to up to four people with shared bathrooms or kitchens, and flats in multiple occupation in purpose-built blocks of three or more flats.
- Mandatory licensing covers most homes shared by five or more people in two or more households who share a toilet, bathroom or kitchen.
Licences usually last five years; where there is evidence of poor management or other housing problems, the council issues a one- or three-year licence instead. Operating a licensable property without a licence can lead to prosecution and an unlimited fine, and breaching a licence condition to a fine of up to £5,000 for each breach. The fees are on the council’s property portal. Checked on Southwark’s property licensing pages on 22 October 2026; City Hall’s property licence checker also shows the schemes by address.
The EPC behind every Southwark let
Whichever licence applies, a privately rented home needs a valid EPC, and most must be rated E or above unless an exemption has been registered — the landlord guide explains the rules, and the HMO guide covers when a shared house needs its own certificate. If an agent or the council asks for room sizes, a laser-measured floor plan gives every room’s dimensions, and it can be done in the same visit as the EPC, from £123 for both.
What the assessment looks at in a Southwark home
How homes in Southwark score today. The ONS’s latest figures use each home’s most recent EPC lodged in the ten years to March 2025. The typical (median) score here is 74, band C, against 70 across London, and 69% of those homes are rated C or above (London 58%). Homes built before 1929 have a median of 65, against 84 for homes built since 2012; flats and maisonettes come out at 76, terraced houses at 67. How every London borough compares.
78.0% of Southwark households live in a flat, 64.4% in a purpose-built block, and 27.1% rent from the council — the highest share of council tenants in London.
Warehouses and docks
Bermondsey’s old warehouses, around Bermondsey Street, Tanner Street, Morocco Street and Leathermarket Street, are now almost all homes, small workspaces or offices, and along the river at Rotherhithe the 1980s brought warehouse conversions and new building side by side; the former Surrey Commercial Docks, around Greenland Dock and Baltic Quay, became housing in the 1980s and 1990s. 2.9% of Southwark households live in a converted building other than a house, more than twice the London share of 1.2%. A conversion is recorded as found — wall type, glazing and floor area — so a measured floor area matters, and a flat built or converted in the last ten years may already have an EPC: check whether it is still valid.
Georgian Camberwell and Victorian suburbs
Camberwell Grove, Grove Lane and Addington Square keep well-preserved Georgian houses, and Shard’s Terrace and Peckham Hill Street mark Peckham’s Georgian expansion. Further south the Victorian suburbs took over: more than 5,000 houses went up in East Dulwich between 1871 and 1881, while much of Dulwich itself still belongs to the Dulwich Estate, which owns 1,500 acres. Houses of those ages usually have solid walls, recorded as built unless there is evidence of insulation, and 9.6% of Southwark households now live in a flat in a converted house.
Selling in Southwark
28.9% of Southwark households own their home. If you are selling, the EPC must be ordered before the home goes on the market; the sellers’ guide covers the timing and whether an older certificate will still do.
Prices
- Domestic EPC from £69
- EPC + floor plan from £123, in one visit
- Floor plan only from £69
Guide prices by size: £69 up to 52 square metres, which covers most one-bedroom flats, £75 for two bedrooms and £85 from 71 to 95 square metres. The same anywhere in London, confirmed in writing before you book and paid after the visit. How EPC prices compare across London.
Common questions
Which Southwark wards have selective licensing?
Nineteen of its wards, including Peckham, Camberwell Green, Rotherhithe, Surrey Docks, Old Kent Road, Dulwich Hill and Dulwich Wood. The council’s interactive map shows whether an address is inside.
Does a shared house in Southwark need a licence?
Yes, if three or more people in two or more households live there. Southwark’s additional licensing covers the whole borough from 1 March 2022 to 1 March 2027 for shared homes outside mandatory licensing, and homes shared by five or more people need a mandatory licence.
How long does a Southwark licence last?
Usually five years. Where there is evidence of poor management or other housing problems, the council issues a one- or three-year licence instead.
How much is an EPC in Southwark?
From £69 for a home of up to 52 square metres, which covers a typical one-bedroom flat, and £75 for two bedrooms, rising with floor area. There is no travel surcharge anywhere in Greater London.
Is a Bermondsey warehouse flat assessed differently?
It gets the same domestic EPC as any flat, but the walls, windows and floor area are recorded as found, because no two conversions are built alike. If it was converted in the last ten years it may already have a valid EPC.
Nearby
Next door: Lambeth and Lewisham, with the City of London and Tower Hamlets across the river. I cover every London borough.