Brent Landlord Licensing: Every Scheme a Private Landlord Needs to Know

Three Schemes, One Borough

Brent Council operates three property licensing schemes simultaneously. Between them, they cover almost every privately rented property in the borough:

Mandatory HMO licensing applies borough-wide to properties housing five or more people from two or more households who share amenities. This is a permanent national scheme with no expiry date.

Additional HMO licensing launched borough-wide on 2 February 2026 and runs until 1 February 2031. It covers smaller shared properties — three or four occupants from two or more households sharing basic amenities — plus section 257 converted buildings and purpose-built HMO flats.

Selective licensing covers single-household lets and two-person lets across 21 of 22 wards (Wembley Park is the sole exemption). Two separate designations operate, expiring in 2028 and 2029 respectively.

How to Work Out Which Licence You Need

The statutory priority is simple: mandatory HMO takes precedence over additional HMO, and any HMO licence displaces selective licensing. A property never needs two licences.

Start with the number of occupants and households:

• Five or more people from two or more households sharing basic amenities → mandatory HMO
• Three or four people from two or more households sharing basic amenities → additional HMO
• Single household or two unrelated occupants → selective licence (in 21 wards)
• Single household in Wembley Park → no licence required

Verify your ward using Brent Council's address checker, not your postcode alone — postcodes cross ward boundaries.

What It Costs

Fees follow a two-part structure. Part A is non-refundable and due at submission. Part B is payable when the council proposes to grant the licence.

• Selective: £340 (Part A) + £300 (Part B) = £640 total; renewal £600
• Additional HMO: £540 + £500 = £1,040; renewal £940
• Mandatory HMO: £540 + £500 = £1,040 base, plus £25 per extra habitable room above five; renewal £940 base

London Landlord Accreditation Scheme members get a flat £40 discount.

The Consequences of Not Having One

Under section 249A of the Housing Act 2004 (as amended by the Renters' Rights Act 2025, Phase 1 from 1 May 2026), Brent Council can issue civil penalties of up to £40,000 per offence. Tenants can also apply for Rent Repayment Orders covering up to 24 months of rent. Operating unlicensed also blocks your ability to serve valid possession notices.

Getting Through the Application

Applications go through Brent's online portal. You will need a Gas Safety Certificate, EICR, EPC (rated A–E), and for HMOs, scaled floor plans with room dimensions in square metres. The fit-and-proper-person declaration covers criminal convictions, housing law breaches and bankruptcy history.

Our Brent Landlord Licensing Guide walks through every step of the process, from the address check to the portal submission, with a pre-flight document checklist and a post-grant conditions tracker.

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