I cover all of Wandsworth as an accredited domestic energy assessor: Battersea and Nine Elms (SW11, SW8), Balham (SW12), Putney and Roehampton (SW15), Tooting and Furzedown (SW17), and Wandsworth Town, Southfields and Earlsfield (SW18). There is no travel surcharge anywhere inside Greater London.
| Households (2021 census) | 137,392 |
|---|---|
| Rented privately | 36.3% (London 30.0%) |
| Owned outright or with a mortgage | 42.5% (London 45.2%) |
| Social rented | 19.3% (London 23.1%) |
| Households living in a flat | 68.5% (London 54.0%) |
| …of which in a converted house | 17.7% of all households (London 11.1%) |
| Households in a house | 31.4% (London 45.9%) |
| Typical (median) EPC score | 72, band C (London 70) |
| Homes with an EPC rated C or above | 63% (London 58%) |
| Selective licence | Furzedown, Tooting Bec, Tooting Broadway, South Balham; East Putney, West Putney, Northcote; £885 |
| Additional HMO licence (HMOs outside mandatory) | Since 1 July 2025; £1,507 |
| EPC discount on part B | £104 for B or above; £52 for C |
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: Wandsworth Council’s “Check if you need a property licence” and “Property licence fees and discounts” pages, 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.
Wandsworth’s licensing, introduced in 2025
Wandsworth introduced two schemes on 1 July 2025. Additional licensing covers HMOs not already under mandatory licensing — including 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 — but not converted blocks of self-contained flats. Selective licensing covers every other privately rented home in seven wards: Furzedown, Tooting Bec, Tooting Broadway and South Balham since July 2025, and East Putney, West Putney and Northcote since April 2026. Larger HMOs, with five or more tenants from two or more households sharing facilities, need a mandatory licence.
Licences usually last five years, but the council will usually grant just one year where planning permission is needed for HMO use or has been refused — and letting an HMO to seven or more people needs planning permission. Fees: selective £885 (£529 and £356), additional £1,507 (£903 and £604), and mandatory from £1,711 for three bedrooms to £2,117 for ten or more. Checked on the council’s licensing pages on 22 October 2026; its interactive map checks a postcode.
A better EPC takes money off every Wandsworth licence
On selective, additional and mandatory licences alike, an EPC rated B or above takes £104 off part B, and a C takes £52 off. Accredited landlords also get £104 off part B, owners of several homes in one building £104 off part A, and landlords who meet the council’s Gold Standard 40% off part B. The council works the discounts out once it has the full application and documents, and will not apply them after it has had to ask twice for supporting documents.
If your EPC is a D or E, a new assessment may lift it if improvements have been made since — the improvement guide explains what counts — and most privately rented homes must be rated E or above unless an exemption has been registered (landlord guide). An EPC and a laser-measured floor plan together cost from £123.
What the assessment looks at in a Wandsworth home
How homes in Wandsworth 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 72, band C, against 70 across London, and 63% of those homes are rated C or above (London 58%). Homes built before 1929 have a median of 65, against 85 for homes built since 2012; flats and maisonettes come out at 74, terraced houses at 65. How every London borough compares.
68.5% of Wandsworth households live in a flat — 48.1% in a purpose-built block and 17.7% in a converted house — and 22.2% in a terraced house.
Victorian streets from Earlsfield to Balham
Tooting grew up in the late Victorian years, with another spurt in the 1920s and 1930s; Earlsfield is mostly Victorian terraced houses; and Balham’s Heaver Estate is made up of substantial houses by the Victorian builder Alfred Heaver. Many houses of that age are now flats, where the solid walls and what lies above and below each flat shape the rating.
Totterdown Fields and Du Cane Court
In Tooting, the London County Council built the Totterdown Fields cottage estate between 1901 and 1911 — 1,244 houses on 38 acres, influenced by the garden city and Arts and Crafts movements. In Balham, Du Cane Court, a 1930s Art Deco block, was at the time the largest block of flats in Europe built for private occupation. In a 1930s block, the flat’s position and the heating system decide most of the result.
Battersea, Nine Elms and the river
Battersea was industrial from the late eighteenth century, and after the war large clearances made way for planned housing; Roehampton has several large council estates. At Nine Elms, riverside developments such as Chelsea Bridge Wharf and Embassy Gardens stand alongside the Carey Gardens and Savona estates. A new-build flat probably already has an EPC from completion — check its date before booking a new one.
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, £85 for 71 to 95 square metres and £90 up to 110. The same anywhere in London, confirmed in writing before you book. How EPC prices compare across London.
Common questions
Which Wandsworth wards need a selective licence?
Furzedown, Tooting Bec, Tooting Broadway and South Balham since July 2025, and East Putney, West Putney and Northcote since April 2026. The council’s interactive map checks a postcode.
How much does a good EPC take off a Wandsworth licence?
An EPC rated B or above takes £104 off part B, and a C takes £52 off, on selective, additional and mandatory licences alike. A selective licence costs £885 and an additional HMO licence £1,507 before discounts.
Which shared homes need an additional licence in Wandsworth?
HMOs not covered by mandatory licensing, including 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. The scheme started on 1 July 2025.
Why might a Wandsworth licence last only one year?
The council says a licence is likely to be granted for a reduced term, usually one year, if planning permission is required for HMO use or has previously been refused. Otherwise licences usually last five years.
How much is an EPC in Wandsworth?
From £69 for a home of up to 52 square metres, which covers most one-bedroom flats, £75 for two bedrooms and £85 for 71 to 95 square metres, rising with floor area. There is no travel surcharge anywhere in Greater London.
Nearby
Next door: Lambeth, Merton, Kingston upon Thames and Richmond upon Thames, with Hammersmith and Fulham, Kensington and Chelsea and Westminster across the river. I cover every London borough.