Hackney Landlord Licensing: Which Licence Does Your Property Need?

Three Licensing Schemes, One Borough

Since 1 May 2026, Hackney Council has operated three overlapping property licensing schemes that together cover nearly every private rental in the borough. If you let a residential property in Hackney, there is a strong chance it needs a licence — and letting without one carries civil penalties of up to £40,000 per offence plus rent repayment orders stretching back 24 months.

The three schemes are:

• Mandatory HMO licensing (national duty, borough-wide) — any property with five or more occupants from two or more households sharing a kitchen, bathroom or toilet
• Additional HMO licensing (local designation, borough-wide) — properties with three or four occupants from two or more households sharing facilities
• Selective licensing (local designation, 17 of 21 wards) — single-household lets and two-sharer properties inside the designated wards

Both local designations run from 1 May 2026 to 30 April 2031. Mandatory HMO licensing is a permanent national requirement and has no end date.

How to Work Out Which Licence You Need

The decision depends on three things: how many people live in the property, how many separate households they form, and which ward the property sits in.

Step 1 — Count occupants and households. Under the Housing Act 2004, a "household" is a single person, a couple (married, civil partners or cohabiting), or a family unit including siblings, parents, grandparents and step-relations. Anyone who is not part of the same family counts as a separate household. Three unrelated professionals sharing a flat form three households.

Step 2 — Match against the scheme thresholds:

• Five or more occupants, two or more households → mandatory HMO licence (£1,400 standard fee, borough-wide)
• Three or four occupants, two or more households → additional HMO licence (£1,400, borough-wide)
• Single household or two unrelated sharers in one of the 17 selective wards → selective licence (£925)
• Single household or two sharers in one of the four excluded wards (Haggerston, Hoxton East & Shoreditch, Hoxton West, Woodberry Down) → no licence required under local schemes

Step 3 — Verify the ward boundary. Postcodes near ward borders can span two wards, and the council's postcode lookup tool has an inherent error rate along those edges. If your property sits near a boundary, request written confirmation from [email protected].

Fees at a Glance

All schemes use a two-part fee structure. Part A is paid when you submit the application and is non-refundable. Part B is invoiced after the council reviews your application and issues a notice of intent to grant the licence.

Discounts are available: £100 off Part B for an EPC rating of B or higher (£50 for rating C), £100 off Part B for accredited landlords (LLAS or NRLA), and £100 off Part A for multi-dwelling applications on the same building. Discounts stack — an accredited landlord with an EPC B property applying for a selective licence could pay £725 instead of £925.

What Happens If You Let Without a Licence

Hackney Council can issue a civil penalty of up to £40,000 for each offence of operating an unlicensed property. Tenants can also apply to the First-tier Tribunal for a rent repayment order covering up to 24 months of rent. An unlicensed property does not, by itself, prevent a landlord from serving a section 8 possession notice; the licensing offence and any rent repayment order remain separate risks.

Next Steps

Applications go through Hackney's online portal at propertylicensing.hackney.gov.uk. You will need a current gas safety certificate, EICR, EPC, floor plans (for HMOs), and a signed fit-and-proper declaration.

For a full walkthrough of the decision framework, application steps, fee discount stacking, room measurement rules and a dated compliance checklist, see our Hackney landlord licensing guide.

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