Barking and Dagenham Landlord Licensing Fees: Full Breakdown for 2025–2026
The first question most landlords ask about LBBD licensing is what it costs. The answer depends on which scheme your property falls under, whether you qualify for a discount, and whether you applied on time.
The Split-Fee Structure
Every LBBD licence fee is split into two payments:
- Part A is the application processing fee, paid when you submit. It is non-refundable — even if your application is refused or you withdraw it.
- Part B is the scheme administration fee, paid after your application is validated and before the licence is issued.
| Scheme | Part A | Part B | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| Selective licence | £650 | £300 | £950 |
| Additional HMO (3–4 occupants) | £1,000 | £400 | £1,400 |
| Mandatory HMO (up to 5 rooms) | £1,000 | £500 | £1,500 |
| Mandatory HMO (6–9 rooms) | £1,000 | £600 | £1,600 |
| Mandatory HMO (10–14 rooms) | £1,000 | £700 | £1,700 |
| Mandatory HMO (15–19 rooms) | £1,000 | £800 | £1,800 |
| Mandatory HMO (20+ rooms) | £1,000 | £1,000 | £2,000 |
If you need the council's help completing the form, that's an extra charge on top of Part A: £170 base plus £10 per room for up to 5 rooms, scaling up to £210 plus £10 per room for 20+ room properties.
How to Reduce Your Fees
LBBD offers two discount tiers, both applied to the Part B payment:
Silver (£200 off Part B): Your property passes the council's compliance inspection with no safety defects or hazard notices. For a selective licence, this drops the total from £950 to £750.
Gold (£250 off Part B): You hold verified accreditation with a recognised body and pass the inspection. A selective licence drops to £700. Recognised bodies include LLAS, NRLA, BLA, Safeagent/Propertymark, UKALA and RICS.
The maths is worth doing. LLAS membership costs about £90. If you're licensing even one selective property, the Gold discount saves £250 on Part B — a net saving of around £160 on the first property, and £250 on every one after that.
What Kills Your Discount Eligibility
You lose access to both discount tiers if any of these apply:
- The property was let unlicensed for more than three months after the scheme started
- Fit and proper person checks reveal adverse findings
- Compliance certificates (gas safety, EICR, EPC) are missing, expired or non-compliant
- Unauthorised structural modifications were made without planning or building regs approval
The three-month rule is the one that catches most people. The selective scheme started 6 April 2025 — any property that was already tenanted and didn't have an application in by early July 2025 triggered the penalty threshold.
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The One-Year Licence Penalty
Late applicants don't just lose discounts. LBBD issues a one-year reduced-term licence instead of the standard five-year term. You pay the full fee for one-fifth of the coverage, and you'll need to apply (and pay) again the following year.
The same one-year restriction applies if you renew more than one month after your previous licence expires.
Refund Policy
Part A is non-refundable once processing starts. The only ground for a refund is if you submitted an application for a property that turns out to be outside LBBD's municipal boundaries entirely. Refused applications, withdrawn applications and duplicate submissions don't qualify.
The Barking and Dagenham Landlord Licensing Guide includes a fee calculation worksheet and discount qualification checklist so you know exactly what you'll pay before committing the Part A fee.
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