Barking and Dagenham Licence Duration and Renewal: 5-Year Term Explained

A standard LBBD property licence lasts five years. The selective scheme runs from 6 April 2025 to 5 April 2030, and the additional HMO scheme from 9 January 2025 to 8 January 2030 — so a licence granted at the start of each scheme covers the full designation period.

When Five Years Becomes One

LBBD can restrict a licence to just one year in several situations:

• Late application: the property was let without a licence for more than three months after the scheme came into force
• Late renewal: the renewal application was submitted more than one month after the previous licence expired
• Serious property concerns: structural issues, management failings or retrospective planning problems identified during processing

A one-year licence costs the same as a five-year one — full Part A and Part B fees, with no discount eligibility. When it expires, you apply and pay again.

Renewal Process

There's no automatic renewal. Before your licence expires, you need to submit a fresh application through the LBBD portal with updated documents, pay the fees, and go through the inspection and approval process again.

The key deadline is one month after expiry. If you renew within that window, you get a standard five-year term (or whatever remains of the designation period). Renew later than one month past expiry and you trigger the one-year reduced-term penalty.

Set a reminder well in advance — don't wait for the council to chase you. The application and inspection process takes months, so submitting your renewal three to six months before expiry gives enough buffer.

Licences Don't Transfer

LBBD property licences are granted to a specific named licence holder for a specific property. They cannot be transferred to a new owner, a new company entity or a different property.

If you sell a licensed property, the licence terminates. The buyer must submit their own application (and pay full fees) before the tenancy continues. Practically, this means the sale contract should address licensing status — a buyer who completes without a pending application risks operating unlicensed from day one.

If the licence holder dies, an automatic three-month statutory exemption applies from the date of death. This buys time for the estate or a successor to submit a new application.

Variations During the Licence Term

Some changes don't require a new application:

• Free of charge: address changes for the licence holder or manager, updating mortgagor or freeholder details, reducing maximum occupancy, licence revocations, and council-initiated variations
• Full new application required: changing the licence holder entirely, or transferring management to a new legal entity

If your managing agent changes, contact the council to confirm whether a variation or new application is required. An address change for the same named manager is free; transferring management responsibility to a new legal entity requires a full new application.

For a renewal checklist, fee calculator and timeline planner, the Barking and Dagenham Landlord Licensing Guide covers the full renewal process.

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