Barnet Selective Licensing: Wards, Fees and What Landlords Need to Know

Barnet Council does not currently run a live selective licensing scheme. A formal public consultation ran from 15 June to 15 September 2026 for a proposed scheme covering ten specific wards, but no designation notice has been signed. Here is what landlords with single-family lets in those areas need to understand.

Which Wards Are in Scope?

The consultation proposed selective licensing for ten electoral wards. These include Burnt Oak, Colindale North, Colindale South and seven others identified in the council's housing conditions evidence base. Ward boundaries in Barnet were redistricted under the 2020 Electoral Changes Order (effective May 2022), so a property's postal address does not always match its electoral ward — check the council's digital address lookup tool rather than relying on a postcode.

Previous phased proposals in 2021, 2022 and 2023 were delayed by administrative and IT implementation constraints. The December 2024 General Approval removed the requirement for Secretary of State confirmation when a council designates schemes covering more than 20% of its area, which gives Barnet wider legal powers to enact selective licensing at scale.

What Selective Licensing Covers

Selective licensing applies to single-household private rented properties — not HMOs. If you let a house or flat to one family or one individual in a designated ward, you would need a selective licence under Part 3 of the Housing Act 2004. Properties already licensed as mandatory or additional HMOs do not need a separate selective licence.

Indicative Fees

The consultation quoted an indicative fee of £910 per property. Earlier phased proposals had floated £774 (split £388 Stage 1, £386 Stage 2), but those are historic figures. The final fee will be confirmed only if and when the cabinet approves the designation.

What Should Landlords Do Now?

Nothing is enforceable until a formal designation notice is published and its commencement date passes. Until then:

• Check your ward: confirm whether your property falls in one of the ten proposed wards using the council's address lookup, not your postcode.
• Keep certificates current: a Gas Safety Certificate, EICR and EPC are required regardless of licensing, and having them ready shortens the application timeline if selective licensing is enacted.
• Monitor council announcements: the cabinet review is ongoing as of late 2026. Formal designation requires a public notice and a lead-in period before licences become mandatory.

If your property is an HMO — three or more tenants from two or more households — selective licensing is not the scheme you need. Barnet's borough-wide Additional HMO Licensing designation (in force 27 October 2022 to 27 October 2027) already covers you. The Barnet Landlord Licensing Guide explains which scheme applies to your specific property type and walks through the application for both HMO and (when enacted) selective licences.

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