Selective licensing in Hackney

Common questions

What the designation says

Hackney Council's Cabinet approved a new selective licensing scheme on 24 November 2025, with the scheme coming into force on 1 May 2026 and running for 5 years. Landlords have been able to apply from 1 March 2026 in advance of the start date. Until late 2024, a selective licensing designation of this size would have required approval from the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG); under reformed rules councils may now approve selective licensing schemes of any size locally through Cabinet, provided they satisfy the legal requirements on evidence, consultation, and proportionality . The new selective scheme covers 17 of Hackney's 21 wards — approximately 76% of privately rented homes in the borough. Within these 17 wards, ALL privately rented properties must be licensed regardless of the number of tenants, including single-occupant lets, couples, and families. The remaining 4 wards are NOT in the selective scheme but are covered by the borough-wide additional licensing scheme (so single-family lets in those 4 wards do not need a selective licence, but any HMO in those 4 wards still needs an additional licence). The PRS in Hackney is distributed across all 21 wards, with property counts per ward ranging from 2,970 (Hoxton West) to 1,302 (Stamford Hill West). Hackney's private rented sector has expanded rapidly and now makes up nearly a third of residential properties. Hackney has consistently ranked among London boroughs with the highest concentration of housing hazards in the private rented sector, with the BRE independent review finding the proportion of privately rented homes containing serious hazards is almost double the national average. The selective scheme is designed to address these conditions in single-let properties that fall outside HMO definitions and would otherwise rely solely on tenant complaints to trigger council action. The selective licence application fee will be £925 per property . At the time of writing the fee was 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. The licence is valid for up to 5 years. All licensed properties must meet standards covering health and safety, fire precautions, gas and electrical safety, structural condition, freedom from serious hazards (Category 1 hazards under HHSRS), and management practices. Required documentation typically includes annual gas safety certificate, valid EICR, EPC, written tenancy agreements, and evidence of competent property management. Tenant complaint handling and waste management arrangements are also conditions of the licence. Online via Hackney's property licensing portal. The council will monitor and inspect properties prior to issuing licences. Where the council finds substandard units it will work with landlords to bring them up to standard rather than refuse outright in the first instance, but persistent failures will lead to refusal or revocation. No tacit consent — submitting an application is the start of the process, not the end. Properties already licensed as Mandatory or Additional HMOs do not need a separate selective licence. Properties controlled or managed by a Local Housing Authority, registered providers of social housing, registered social landlords, or registered education establishments are exempt. Buildings occupied only by family members of the landlord, long leases over 21 years, holiday lets, and properties subject to an Interim or Final Management Order are exempt. Full statutory exemptions are listed on the selective licence designation notice. Operating without a required licence is a criminal offence. Penalties include unlimited fines on conviction or civil financial penalties up to £40,000 per offence, Rent Repayment Orders for up to two years' rent for offences on or after 1 May 2026 (12 months before that date), entry on the database of rogue landlords, Banning Orders, and licence refusal/revocation affecting fit-and-proper-person status. Hackney Council has publicly committed to active enforcement against landlords who put tenants at risk or fail to meet their obligations . Spokesperson Jae Vail of the London Renters Union has called for proper enforcement of the new scheme, indicating high tenant scrutiny is expected. Hackney Council Property Licensing team via the council's licensing portal at hackney.gov.uk/property-licensing. The £40,000 ceiling applies to offences committed on or after 1 May 2026; the £30,000 ceiling still applies to offences committed before that date.

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 £40,000 per offence and a rent repayment order of up to two years' rent. Both maxima apply to conduct on or after 1 May 2026; before that date they were £30,000 and twelve months. Section 21 was abolished on 1 May 2026 and possession now runs through the amended section 8 grounds. 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 →