What should a New Cross student-house landlord prepare before inspections?

Provide the current occupancy details, a usable floor plan and arrangements for access to bedrooms, kitchens and service cupboards. New Cross shared houses may have residents on different schedules, so agreement with one tenant does not necessarily resolve access throughout the property. Bring previous certificates and any unresolved recommendations into the same file. Peachtree Maintenance can coordinate instructed checks and repairs, but the landlord should confirm the licensing category and conditions directly with Lewisham.

Does selective licensing affect ordinary Catford rentals?

Lewisham states that its scheme covers nearly all privately rented homes not already covered by HMO licensing. That makes a Catford house let to a family relevant to the address check, not automatically outside licensing. Use the council map and designation to confirm whether the particular property is included and whether an exemption applies. Keep the licence enquiry distinct from planning matters and from the separate obligation to maintain safe accommodation.

Can you help with a leak between Brockley converted flats?

Yes, subject to the agreed instruction and access. Ask residents to describe when the leak appears and whether it relates to a bathroom, appliance or rainfall. In Brockley conversions, pipework may run through voids outside the affected flat, and the visible stain is not always directly below the source. Liaise with the relevant landlord or freeholder before opening shared areas. The job record should distinguish what has been established from anything that remains uncertain.

Are modern Lewisham town-centre apartments simpler to maintain?

Not necessarily. Newer flats can have communal heating, controlled entry and building-managed service cupboards, so access and responsibility need checking even when the installation is relatively recent. Obtain the development instructions and confirm whether a problem affects only the flat or other homes. A private landlord can authorise repairs within their responsibility, but communal system interventions may require the block manager. Retain the resulting reports with the flat record for future handovers and follow-up work.

Property maintenance in Lewisham | Peachtree Maintenance

Property maintenance and compliance in Lewisham

Peachtree Maintenance coordinates property repairs and compliance work for Lewisham landlords, letting agents and managers of shared accommodation. The approach reflects a borough of Victorian conversions, family houses and newer apartment developments, with inspection records and repair instructions kept specific to each address.

A changing rental landscape around the railway

New Cross has a student rental market associated with Goldsmiths, alongside long-established residential streets and flats above shops. Deptford combines older terraces and estates with newer housing near the station and creek. In these neighbourhoods, tenancy changes and shared occupation make accurate room descriptions important: a room used as a bedroom today may appear as a reception room on an old plan. Maintenance instructions should reflect the occupied arrangement and confirm access to every installation that needs checking.

Brockley and Ladywell contain substantial Victorian housing, including houses divided into flats with common entrance halls. Hither Green and Lee add family terraces, maisonettes and converted properties used by commuters on rail routes into central London. Leaks and electrical alterations can cross the neat boundaries shown in a tenancy agreement. Before work begins, identify which services are shared and whether access or consent is needed from another leaseholder, rather than allowing an apparently small repair to become a dispute over responsibility.

Hillside conversions and town-centre blocks

Forest Hill, Honor Oak and Sydenham include larger period houses converted into flats as well as purpose-built blocks. Changes in level, rear additions and concealed service routes can complicate fault tracing. Around Lewisham town centre, apartment buildings may instead require liaison with a building manager for communal systems. Peachtree Maintenance can coordinate these practical arrangements through one point of contact, with photo evidence on every job and digital certificates where applicable. Agents can request monthly consolidated invoicing without losing the individual address references needed for their records.

Licensing beyond the large shared house

Lewisham publishes a selective licensing scheme covering nearly all privately rented properties not already covered by HMO licensing, with an address map to confirm the designated area. Its additional HMO scheme also makes smaller shared accommodation relevant to licensing checks. A single-family tenancy in Catford should therefore not be assumed exempt simply because it is not a shared house. Check the council designation, exemptions and actual occupation, then match the application documents to the current floor plan and management arrangements.

Licensing in Lewisham

Lewisham selective licensing came into effect on 1 July 2024 and covers nearly all privately rented properties in the borough not already covered by HMO licensing schemes. The council provides an interactive address map and designation notice to confirm which properties and areas are included.

Read the details on the Lewisham Council website. Last checked 2026-10-20. Schemes change, so confirm before letting.