Changing the Manager or Owner on a Barking and Dagenham Landlord Licence

Circumstances change mid-licence — you switch letting agents, sell the property, or the licence holder's details change. LBBD has different processes for different changes, and some are free while others mean starting from scratch with a full application fee.

Changes That Are Free

The following licence variations cost nothing:

• Address changes for the existing licence holder or manager (they've moved home, not changed identity)
• Updating mortgagor or freeholder details (refinanced with a different lender, or the freehold changed hands)
• Reducing maximum permitted occupancy (you're downsizing from a 4-person HMO to 3 occupants, for example)
• Licence revocations requested by the holder
• Council-initiated variations (LBBD adjusts conditions on its own initiative)

For these, contact the PRPL team at [email protected] with the licence reference number and updated details.

Changes That Require a New Application

Changing the licence holder — if the person or company named as licence holder changes, the existing licence cannot be amended. The new holder must submit a full application with full fees. This applies whether it's a sole trader becoming a limited company, a joint owner taking over from another, or any other change in the legal entity holding the licence.

Transferring to a new owner — property licences are non-transferable. When a property is sold, the existing licence terminates and the buyer must apply for their own. There's no grace period: the property is unlicensed from the moment ownership transfers until the new owner has made an application that remains effective. A duly made application provides a statutory defence against the unlicensed-property offence while it remains effective.

This has real consequences for property sales. A buyer who doesn't submit an application before or immediately at completion risks operating unlicensed — with exposure to civil penalties up to £30,000, or up to £40,000 for qualifying serious, fraudulent or persistent breaches. Rent Repayment Orders can cover up to 24 months of rent for offences committed on or after 1 May 2026. If the property has existing tenants, the sale contract should address the licensing handover explicitly.

Changing Your Managing Agent

The licence names the manager, so contact the PRPL team before relying on the existing licence details after a management change. An address change for the same manager is free; transferring management responsibility to a new legal entity requires a full new application. Ask the council which process applies when appointing a different agent or taking management back in-house. Proposed managers are subject to fit-and-proper checks.

If you're taking over day-to-day management after an agent leaves, contact the PRPL team to confirm how to update the manager details and whether the change requires a variation or a new application.

Landlords Outside the UK

Non-UK resident landlords cannot be sole licence holders. If you currently hold a licence through a UK-based managing agent and that agent relationship ends, you need to appoint a replacement UK-based agent who accepts joint compliance liability before the licence can continue.

The Barking and Dagenham Landlord Licensing Guide covers licence variations, management change procedures and the fit and proper person requirements for new managers.

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