Additional HMO licensing in Hackney

What the designation says

Hackney Council's Cabinet approved new additional and selective licensing schemes on 24 November 2025, replacing the previous schemes that ran from 1 October 2018 to October 2023. Both new schemes come into force on 1 May 2026 and will run for 5 years. Landlords have been able to apply since 1 March 2026 in advance of the start date . between October 2023 and 1 May 2026 there is a temporary gap in additional licensing in Hackney — only Mandatory HMO licensing (5+ persons) has been in force borough-wide during this gap. From 1 May 2026, the new additional licensing scheme applies BOROUGH-WIDE and extends licensing to most Houses in Multiple Occupation including shared accommodation and bedsit-HMOs occupied by 3 or 4 people forming 2 or more households. This includes houses, flats in converted houses, and individual flats in blocks. Where flats in a block are occupied by 3 or more unrelated people, they remain individually licensable. The ONE EXEMPTION is Section 257 HMOs — buildings converted into self-contained flats where the conversion did not comply with the 1991 Building Regulations. Section 257 buildings as a whole are excluded from Hackney's additional scheme, although individual flats within them may still need licensing if occupied by 3+ unrelated people. Private rented homes make up nearly a third of residential properties in Hackney. A recent independent review of Hackney's private rented sector found that a significant proportion of privately rented homes may contain serious hazards — almost double the national average. For HMOs the situation is more severe: 30% of HMOs in the borough are predicted to contain a serious hazard, three times the national average . Mayor of Hackney Caroline Woodley and Cllr Sem Moema, Deputy Cabinet Member for Private Renting and Housing Affordability, have both publicly confirmed the scheme is designed to raise standards and give the council stronger enforcement tools alongside the Renters' Rights Act 2025. The additional licence application fee will be £1,400 per property . For comparison, the existing Mandatory HMO fee is £950 with a reduced rate of £875 for landlords accredited under the London Landlord Accreditation Scheme (LLAS). At the time of writing the new additional and selective fees were not yet listed on the council's own published fee schedule beyond the press-release figures — landlords should verify the final fee on the council's licensing portal before applying. Property must be free from serious hazards, well-maintained, and provide adequate facilities for the number of occupants. Appropriate fire safety measures (alarms, fire doors, emergency lighting). Annual gas safety certificate. Valid Electrical Installation Condition Report (EICR). Clear written tenancy agreements. Prompt response to tenant complaints. Proper waste disposal arrangements. Statutory minimum bedroom sizes apply throughout England under HMO licensing — Hackney can ask for larger sizes. The licence holder is normally the property owner; for "rent to rent" or guaranteed rent arrangements the council will usually still seek to licence the owner as the most appropriate person. Online via Hackney's property licensing portal. The council inspects and monitors properties prior to issuing licences and works with landlords whose units are found to be substandard. No tacit consent — applicants should not assume a licence has been granted simply because no response has been received. Operating without a required licence is a criminal offence under section 72 of the Housing Act 2004. Landlords face unlimited fines on conviction, civil financial penalties up to £30,000 per offence as an alternative to prosecution, Rent Repayment Orders requiring repayment of up to 12 months' rent, entry on the database of rogue landlords, and Banning Orders. Section 21 notices are invalid where the property is unlicensed; from 1 May 2026 (when Section 21 is also abolished under the Renters' Rights Act 2025) the no-fault possession grounds will likewise be unavailable. Hackney Council Property Licensing team via the council's licensing portal at hackney.gov.uk/property-licensing.

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.

Hackney's own licensing page →