Principal Officer – Property Licensing

The Role

As Principal Officer, you too can make a powerful contribution. Delivering Westminster’s Property Licensing schemes including the new selective licensing scheme in one of the largest private rented sectors in the UK.

First, a little history. In 2021, Westminster launched a borough‑wide additional HMO licensing scheme that improved housing conditions across houses in multiple occupation. Building on that success, the Council launched selective licensing on the 24th of November 2025 to tackle poor housing standards and anti‑social behaviour in the wider private rented sector. Selective licensing has been introduced in 15 of 18 of Westminster’s wards covering an estimated 44,000 private rented properties. You’ll be joining us at the start of this journey, helping to improve management standards in the city’s private rented sector.

You will play an essential role in delivering Westminster’s Property Licensing schemes. You will support the team, overseeing licence support processes, ensuring consistency, accuracy and compliance with legislation by leading the Quality Assurance (QA) function.

You will provide high-level technical advice and guidance on licensing to the team, acting as the subject matter expert and point of contact for complex licensing enquiries.

You will have line management responsibility for 3 Senior Licensing Support Officers, managing their performance, supporting their development through regular one-to-ones, and providing pastoral support.

You will assist managers in monitoring performance, writing reports and producing data on Selective Licensing including financial reporting.

You will support other teams in enforcing property licensing, through preparing evidence packs and intelligence to support investigations. You will also support the service in ensuring debt owed from the service of enforcement notices is accounted for and recovered.

We’ll look to you to guide the team, shape policy and drive strategy.

You’ll contribute to continuous improvement of systems, procedures and customer experience. Providing guidance, training and supervision to licensing support staff.

Westminster celebrates diversity, you’ll help to embed Westminster values, fostering a culturally competent, inclusive, workforce that identifies with our community and consistently models positive values and behaviours.