London · Council licensing
Landlord licensing in Brent
✓ Hand-verified 25 Aug 2026Brent operates discretionary property licensing. Letting an unlicensed property where a scheme applies risks a civil penalty of up to £30,000 and a rent repayment order — check whether your property is covered below.
Required for any HMO let to 5 or more people forming 2+ households who share facilities.
Brent sets this fee under section 63(3) of the Housing Act 2004. Its current charge is not yet recorded here.
The council’s own licensing page carries the charge that applies today — confirm it there before you budget.
Not established is not the same as free.
Brent operates selective licensing under two separate designations, which together cover almost the whole borough. The first came into force on 1 August 2023 and runs to 31 July 2028, covering Harlesden and Kensal Green, Dollis Hill and Willesden Green. The second came into force on 1 April 2024 and runs to 31 March 2029, covering every ward except Wembley Park. Between them a landlord letting almost anywhere in Brent needs a selective licence. The scheme applies to privately rented homes that are not licensable as houses in multiple occupation, so it catches an ordinary flat or house let to one person, a couple or a single household. The published application fee is £640, taken in two parts: £340 on application, which is not refundable, and £300 on grant. Letting without a required licence is a criminal offence carrying a civil penalty of up to £30,000 or prosecution, and exposes the landlord to a rent repayment order.
Areas: Two designations. Designation 1/2023, made by Cabinet 17 April 2023, in force 1 August 2023 to 31 July 2028: Dollis Hill, Harlesden and Kensal Green, Willesden Green. Designation 2/2023, made by Cabinet 17 July 2023 and confirmed by the Secretary of State 30 November 2023, in force from about April 2024 for five years, covering 18 wards: Alperton, Barnhill, Brondesbury Park, Cricklewood and Mapesbury, Kenton, Kilburn, Kingsbury, Northwick Park, Preston, Queens Park, Queensbury, Roundwood, Stonebridge, Sudbury, Tokyngton, Welsh Harp, Wembley Central, Wembley Hill. Wembley Park is excluded because it does not meet the criteria
Paid in two parts — one on application, the balance before the licence is issued.
| Part 1 | £340 |
| Part 2 | £300 |
| Total | £640 |
- Renewal £600 (£300 + £300)
- £40 discount for London Landlord Accreditation Scheme members
Brent, read 25 August 2026
Scheme runs until: 31 July 2028
Brent operates a borough-wide additional licensing scheme, which came into force on 2 February 2026. The council began accepting applications on 17 November 2025. A licence is required for any house in multiple occupation let to three or four people forming two or more households who share a kitchen, bathroom or toilet, which brings smaller shared houses within licensing below the five-occupant threshold of the mandatory regime. The designation also covers section 257 HMOs, which are converted blocks of flats where the conversion did not meet the Building Regulations in force at the time, and HMOs within purpose-built blocks of three or more self-contained flats. The published application fee is £840, taken in two parts: £540 on application, which is not refundable, and £300 on grant. Because Brent also runs near borough-wide selective licensing, a landlord should establish which of the two schemes catches a given property before applying.
Areas: Borough-wide, including s.257 HMOs. Designation 3/2025, confirmed by Cabinet 13 October 2025
Paid in two parts — one on application, the balance before the licence is issued.
| Part 1 | £540 |
| Part 2 | £500 |
| Total | £1,040 |
- Discount
- Renewal £940 (£500+£440)
Brent, read 25 August 2026
Scheme runs until: 1 February 2031
Common questions
Does Brent have a selective licensing scheme?
Yes. Brent operates a selective licensing scheme. Letting a property covered by it without a licence risks a civil penalty of up to £30,000, a rent repayment order of up to twelve months' rent, and the loss of the right to serve a section 21 notice.
Does Brent have an additional HMO licensing scheme?
Yes. Brent operates an additional HMO licensing scheme. Letting a property covered by it without a licence risks a civil penalty of up to £30,000, a rent repayment order of up to twelve months' rent, and the loss of the right to serve a section 21 notice.
Do I need an HMO licence in Brent?
A mandatory HMO licence is required anywhere in England and Wales, including Brent, where a property is let to five or more people forming two or more households who share basic amenities. Smaller shared houses may also need a licence where an additional licensing scheme applies.
- Free landlord compliance check — five questions, no account
- Tenancy agreement checker — findings cited to the Act and section
Selective licensing in Brent: areas, dates and fees →
Additional HMO licensing in Brent: areas, dates and fees →
All property licensing in London →
Source: Brent licensing page →
Every landlord in Brent also needs
A valid Gas Safety certificate (annual), an EICR (every 5 years), a valid EPC, a protected deposit, smoke & CO alarms, the Renters' Rights Act Information Sheet, and a current How to Rent guide — plus the new Section 8 possession rules since Section 21 was abolished on 1 May 2026.
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