Barking and Dagenham Selective Licensing: Borough-Wide Scheme 2025–2030
Barking and Dagenham's selective licensing scheme went live on 6 April 2025 and runs until 5 April 2030. Subject to statutory exemptions, it covers privately rented properties in the borough that aren't already caught by HMO licensing — which means if you let a qualifying home to a single household or two sharers anywhere in LBBD, you need a selective licence.
Why the Whole Borough
The Housing Act 2004: General Approval 2024 (effective 23 December 2024) removed the old requirement for councils to seek Secretary of State permission when a selective scheme covers more than 20% of the area or private rented stock. LBBD's Council Assembly approved the scheme on 18 September 2024, and the council used the updated approval to designate all 19 wards in three contiguous areas.
Before this change, LBBD ran selective licensing in limited wards. The 2025 scheme is the first to go borough-wide.
Who Needs a Selective Licence
A selective licence applies to any privately rented dwelling occupied by a single person, a single family, or two unrelated sharers. If your property has three or more occupants forming two or more households, it falls under HMO licensing instead — and a valid HMO licence displaces the selective requirement.
Properties exempt from selective licensing include: council-owned or housing association homes, owner-occupied properties, lettings to family members without commercial rent, holiday lets, student accommodation managed by an institution, and properties subject to a Temporary Exemption Notice.
Fees and the Split Payment
The selective licence costs £950 total, split into two parts:
- Part A (application): £650 — paid when you submit, non-refundable
- Part B (licence issuance): £300 — paid after validation and before the licence is granted
Landlords who pass the compliance inspection earn a Silver discount (£200 off Part B, reducing the total to £750). Those with accreditation from LLAS, NRLA or an equivalent body qualify for Gold (£250 off Part B, total £700).
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The Three-Month Trap
If your property was rented when the scheme started on 6 April 2025 and you haven't applied within three months, LBBD can restrict your licence to just one year instead of five and revoke all discount eligibility. The council's enforcement policy makes clear this isn't discretionary — late applicants automatically trigger the penalty threshold.
Online applications opened on 17 March 2025 through the LBBD MetaStreet portal. If you're reading this and haven't applied yet, the three-month window has long passed — apply immediately and document the submission date, because that timestamp is your statutory defence against an unlicensed property charge.
What the Inspection Covers
LBBD aims to inspect selective properties within six months of a valid application. Officers check physical conditions, room dimensions, HHSRS hazards, alarm installations and document validity. Inspections typically last 20 minutes to an hour.
The inspection determines your discount tier. A property with no safety defects or hazard notices qualifies for Silver; add recognised accreditation and you reach Gold.
For a complete walkthrough of the selective licensing application — documents, portal steps, fee calculations, conditions and what happens at inspection — the Barking and Dagenham Landlord Licensing Guide takes you through it step by step.
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