Barking and Dagenham Landlord Licence: What Private Landlords Need to Know

Most privately rented properties in the London Borough of Barking and Dagenham need a licence, subject to statutory exemptions. The borough runs three concurrent licensing schemes under Parts 2 and 3 of the Housing Act 2004, and since April 2025, the selective scheme covers all 19 wards — meaning a qualifying single-family let in Dagenham requires one.

Three Schemes Running at Once

LBBD operates three licensing schemes simultaneously:

Mandatory HMO Licensing applies nationally to any property let to five or more people forming two or more households who share facilities. This runs continuously under Part 2 of the Housing Act 2004 — no local designation needed.

Additional HMO Licensing targets smaller shared houses with three or four occupants forming two or more households. LBBD's borough-wide scheme started 9 January 2025 and runs until 8 January 2030.

Selective Licensing covers everything else that's privately rented — single-family lets and properties with two sharers. The borough-wide scheme started 6 April 2025 and runs until 5 April 2030, split across three designation areas covering all wards.

A property never needs two licences. If an HMO licence applies, it displaces the selective requirement.

What the Fees Look Like

LBBD splits every licence fee into two stages:

• Selective licence: £650 Part A (non-refundable) + £300 Part B = £950 total
• Additional HMO: £1,000 Part A + £400 Part B = £1,400 total
• Mandatory HMO (up to 5 rooms): £1,000 Part A + £500 Part B = £1,500 total

Landlords who pass the compliance inspection can earn a Silver discount (£200 off Part B). Those who also hold accreditation with LLAS, NRLA or another recognised body qualify for Gold (£250 off Part B) — dropping a selective licence to £700.

The Three-Month Deadline That Catches People Out

If LBBD decides your property has been let unlicensed for more than three months after the scheme started, the consequences stack up: the licence is restricted to one year instead of five, all fee discounts are forfeited, and you may face a civil penalty of up to £30,000, or up to £40,000 for qualifying serious, fraudulent or persistent breaches.

The selective scheme opened for applications on 17 March 2025 and took effect 6 April 2025. For any property that was already tenanted at that date, the clock started ticking immediately.

How the Application Works

Applications go through the LBBD online portal — there is no paper form. You register an account, confirm your property's address and scheme classification, upload compliance documents (gas safety certificate, EICR, EPC, floor plans, tenancy agreement), declare interested parties, and pay the Part A fee.

After submission, the council validates your documents and schedules an inspection — typically within six months. If everything checks out, you receive a Notice of Intent, then a final licence after the 21-day consultation window.

What Happens if You Skip It

Operating without a licence is an offence under sections 72 and 95 of the Housing Act 2004. LBBD can impose civil penalties of up to £30,000, or up to £40,000 for qualifying serious, fraudulent or persistent breaches, or prosecute for an unlimited fine. For offences committed on or after 1 May 2026, tenants can also claim a Rent Repayment Order covering up to 24 months of rent paid during the unlicensed period.

Since 1 May 2026, landlords seeking possession of an assured private tenancy must rely on a statutory ground and use the prescribed notice process under the Renters' Rights Act 2025; Section 21 no-fault notices are no longer available. This is separate from the local licensing duty under the Housing Act 2004.

For a step-by-step walkthrough of every scheme, the application documents, fee calculations and licence conditions, the Barking and Dagenham Landlord Licensing Guide covers the full process with dated checklists and worksheets.

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