Additional HMO licensing in Barnet

What the designation says

Barnet operates a borough-wide additional licensing scheme which started on 27 October 2022 and ends on 27 October 2027, or earlier if the council revokes it. It applies to houses in multiple occupation that are not caught by the national mandatory regime, so smaller shared homes need a licence anywhere in the borough. Mandatory HMO licensing continues to apply separately wherever a property is let to five or more people forming two or more households. Fees cover processing the application and monitoring compliance with the licence conditions, and updated HMO licensing fees took effect on 1 January 2026. Because Barnet also runs selective licensing in designated wards, a landlord should establish which scheme catches a given property: a shared house falls under additional or mandatory licensing anywhere in the borough, while an ordinary single-household let needs a selective licence only inside a designated ward.

What this means for a landlord

A licence must be in place before the property is let, not applied for afterwards. Operating unlicensed in a designated area is a criminal offence: a civil penalty of up to £30,000 per offence, a rent repayment order of up to twelve months' rent, and a section 21 notice that cannot be served while the property is unlicensed. Mandatory HMO licensing applies separately and everywhere, wherever a property is let to five or more people forming two or more households.

Barnet's own licensing page →