London · Council licensing
Landlord licensing in Hillingdon
✓ Hand-verified 19 Aug 2026Hillingdon 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.
One payment.
Hillingdon — hillingdon.gov.uk, read 19 Aug 2026
Hillingdon does not operate a selective licensing scheme and has stated it does not intend to introduce one for its privately rented properties. Selective licensing would require every privately rented home in a designated area to hold a licence regardless of how many people occupy it; no such designation exists anywhere in the borough. The council has instead pursued a borough-wide additional licensing scheme for houses in multiple occupation, which it describes as increasing its powers to scrutinise landlords, improve housing conditions and tackle anti-social behaviour. A landlord letting an ordinary self-contained flat or a single-family house in Hillingdon therefore needs no property licence, but a shared house of three or four occupants does need one under the additional scheme, and mandatory HMO licensing applies at five or more occupants.
Hillingdon Council has approved a borough-wide additional HMO licensing scheme. Cabinet decision made 19 February 2026 following 10-week consultation (31 October 2025 to 11 January 2026, 80% of respondents in support). The designation was made on 19 February 2026 and comes into force on 24 August 2026 (after the statutory 3-month notice period). It will run for 5 years until 23 August 2031 unless revoked earlier. Applies to all HMOs occupied by 3 or more persons forming 2 or more households that fall outside mandatory HMO licensing - includes shared houses, shared flats and bedsit HMOs occupied by 3 or 4 people. Section 257 HMOs are EXCLUDED from this scheme. Licence fee: £1,401 for a 5-year licence, with a 10% discount for accredited landlords. Applications open 20 May 2026. Full compliance required by 23 August 2026; enforcement begins 24 August 2026. Approximately 2,000 unregistered HMOs estimated in the borough. The scheme works alongside the borough-wide Article 4 Direction introduced December 2025.
Areas: Borough-wide. Small HMOs occupied by 3 or 4 people in 2 or more households. Section 257 excluded. Cabinet approved 19 February 2026
Paid in two parts — one on application, the balance before the licence is issued.
- Discount
Hillingdon — hillingdon.gov.uk, read 19 Aug 2026
Scheme runs until: 23 August 2031
Common questions
Does Hillingdon have a selective licensing scheme?
No. Hillingdon does not currently operate a selective licensing scheme. Mandatory HMO licensing still applies wherever a property is let to five or more people forming two or more households.
Does Hillingdon have an additional HMO licensing scheme?
Yes. Hillingdon 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 Hillingdon?
A mandatory HMO licence is required anywhere in England and Wales, including Hillingdon, 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
Additional HMO licensing in Hillingdon: areas, dates and fees →
All property licensing in London →
Source: Hillingdon licensing page →
Every landlord in Hillingdon 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.
Check your Hillingdon property in 30 seconds
Free, no account — see exactly what applies to your property, then let Landlord HQ track every deadline from £9.99/mo.