Landlord licensing in Harrow

Required for any HMO let to 5 or more people forming 2+ households who share facilities.

Fee: 1400.00

The London Borough of Harrow operates Selective Licensing Schemes covering parts of the borough. The original schemes operated in Edgware (since 2015) and Wealdstone (since 2016 — covering Wealdstone North, parts of Harrow Weald and parts of Wealdstone South, with that designation running 2 September 2021 to 1 September 2026). Following a public consultation in late summer 2025, Cabinet approved a renewed and expanded selective licensing designation in December 2025 covering six wards: Edgware, Greenhill, Marlborough, Wealdstone North, Wealdstone South and Roxeth. The expanded scheme is intended to take effect when the current designations expire in 2026 (the council has confirmed both the current additional and selective designations expire in August/September 2026). A selective licence is required for any privately rented house or flat let to a single household or to two unrelated sharers (i.e. lettings that fall outside both mandatory HMO and additional HMO licensing) where the property is in one of the designated wards. The application fee is £752 per property for both new applications and licence renewals; a previously-advertised fee discount for accredited landlords no longer appears on the council's website. As of July 2024, Harrow's public register listed 1,422 properties licensed under the selective licensing schemes. The schemes are designed to address antisocial behaviour, crime, overcrowding, sub-letting, refuse and noise complaints concentrated in the designated wards. Operating an unlicensed selective property exposes the landlord to prosecution with an unlimited fine, a civil financial penalty of up to £30,000 per offence without warning, Rent Repayment Orders of up to 12 months rent, and entry on the Mayor of London Rogue Landlord Checker.

Areas: Current: Edgware (since 2015) and Wealdstone area covering Wealdstone North, parts of Harrow Weald, parts of Wealdstone South (expires 1 Sep 2026). Approved expansion (Dec 2025 Cabinet) to take effect 2026: Edgware, Greenhill, Marlborough, Wealdstone North, Wealdstone South, Roxeth.

Fee: 752.00

Scheme runs until: 1 September 2026

The London Borough of Harrow operates a borough-wide Additional HMO Licensing Scheme that came into force on 6 August 2021 and runs until 5 August 2026 (a five-year designation). Under the Housing Act 2004, councils must re-designate licensing schemes before they expire to avoid a regulatory gap, so Harrow Council launched a public consultation from 19 December 2025 to 27 February 2026 on extending the scheme for a further five years. A Cabinet decision is expected in 2026; the scheme is widely expected to be renewed. The current scheme covers all Houses in Multiple Occupation in the borough that fall outside the mandatory HMO licensing regime — that is, properties occupied by three or four people forming two or more households who share kitchen, bathroom or toilet facilities. The scheme also covers properties that have been converted into self-contained flats where the conversion did not comply with Building Regulations from 1991 or later, where the building has three or more storeys, contains at least three flats, all flats are privately rented, and the building and flats are managed or owned by the same entity (a sub-set of section 257 HMOs). The scheme was justified on the basis of widespread management deficiencies (the council reported issues in around 95% of inspected licensed HMOs), overcrowding, disrepair, antisocial behaviour and fire safety risks, against the backdrop of around 30% of the borough's housing stock now being privately rented. The application fee for an additional HMO licence is £1,818 for new applications and £1,285.90 for renewals where there is no material change. Different fees apply to section 257 HMOs. Mandatory HMO licences are charged from around £1,400 per property. As of July 2024, Harrow's public register listed 504 properties licensed under the mandatory HMO and additional licensing schemes combined. Operating an unlicensed HMO exposes the landlord to prosecution with an unlimited fine, a civil financial penalty of up to £30,000 per offence without warning, Rent Repayment Orders of up to 12 months rent, and entry on the Mayor of London Rogue Landlord Checker.

Areas: Borough-wide (current scheme expires 5 Aug 2026; renewal in consultation Dec 2025-Feb 2026)

Fee: 1818.00

Scheme runs until: 5 August 2026