Additional HMO licensing in Brent

What the designation says

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.

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.

Brent's own licensing page →