Barking and Dagenham MetaStreet Licensing Portal: How to Apply Online

All landlord licence applications in Barking and Dagenham go through the council's online MetaStreet portal. Paper forms aren't available. If you've never used it, the portal's workflow has some quirks worth understanding before you start — particularly around document uploads and fee payments.

Creating Your Account

The first step is registering for an applicant account on the LBBD licensing portal. You'll need a working email address, a contact phone number, and — for corporate applicants — your Companies House registration number and UK-registered office address.

If you're a managing agent submitting on behalf of a landlord, you can create your own account and submit applications on the landlord's behalf.

Landlords who need accessibility assistance or who can't complete the online process can contact the PRPL team directly ([email protected] or 020 8724 8898) for support.

The Application Workflow

Once logged in, the portal walks you through a structured sequence:

Address lookup. You enter the property postcode and select the address. The portal checks geographic coverage and uses occupancy details to classify which licensing scheme applies. All 19 wards are covered by the selective licensing scheme, so every privately rented dwelling will appear as licensable unless an exemption applies.

Property and occupancy details. You enter the number of occupants, their household relationships, room counts, and amenity information. The portal uses this to confirm whether the property needs a selective, additional HMO, or mandatory HMO licence. Getting the household composition right is critical — misclassifying a three-sharer property as a single household triggers enforcement if the council later discovers the error.

Document upload. The portal accepts PDF and JPEG files. You upload your Gas Safety Certificate, EICR, EPC, measured floor plans, tenancy agreement, and (for HMOs) fire safety certificates and risk assessments. Review each required item before submission; if documents are missing or defective, LBBD can request them after you submit.

Interested party declarations. You confirm that you've sent written notification of the application to all interested parties: mortgage lenders, freeholders, head-leaseholders, joint owners, and managing agents. The portal doesn't verify this automatically, but LBBD can request evidence of notification at any time during processing.

Part A payment. The final step before submission is paying the Part A application fee by debit or credit card. This is non-refundable — even if the application is later rejected because documents are incomplete or the property doesn't qualify.

After submission, you receive an automated receipt and reference number. Keep this — it's your proof of application date, which matters if LBBD later questions whether you applied within three months of the scheme taking effect or a qualifying tenancy commencing.

The Public Register

The MetaStreet portal also hosts LBBD's public register of licensed properties, searchable by address or postcode. Under section 232 of the Housing Act 2004, the council must maintain this register with licence holder details, manager names, maximum occupancy limits, and validity periods.

The register matters because tenants use it. A tenant may apply for a Rent Repayment Order under Chapter 4 of Part 2 of the Housing and Planning Act 2016 if the landlord committed a specified offence, such as operating an unlicensed HMO (section 72 of the Housing Act 2004) or selective property (section 95). For offences committed on or after 1 May 2026, an RRO can cover up to 24 months of rent; earlier offences remain subject to the previous 12-month limit.

If your property doesn't appear on the register after you've submitted an application, don't assume something's gone wrong — there's a processing lag between submission and register entry. If you're concerned, check directly with the PRPL team rather than assuming an exemption applies.

Common Portal Issues

Incomplete applications. If the PRPL team finds missing or defective documents after submission, they issue a formal information request. You get two months to supply the missing items. Miss that deadline and the application is rejected — forfeiting your Part A fee and leaving the property unlicensed.

Wrong scheme classification. The portal's automatic classification is based on the data you enter about occupancy and household structure. If you enter it wrong, the portal assigns the wrong scheme, and your application may be processed under the wrong fee structure. Double-check before submitting.

Fee payment failures. Card payment issues can interrupt submission. Check the application status and follow the portal's current instructions before retrying. Having your compliance documents and property information prepared in advance (rather than assembling them during the session) reduces the risk of losing work to a timeout or payment glitch.

The Barking and Dagenham Landlord Licensing Guide includes a pre-submission checklist that matches the portal's document upload slots, so you can assemble everything offline before you log in.

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