Selective Licensing Scheme 2: Barnsbury, Caledonian, Highbury, Junction, Laycock, Mildmay and Tufnell Park

Islington's second selective licensing scheme takes effect on 23 November 2026, pulling seven more wards into the licensing net. If you let a non-HMO property in Barnsbury, Caledonian, Highbury, Junction, Laycock, Mildmay or Tufnell Park, you will need a selective licence from that date. Applications opened on 7 September 2026; submit a completed application before the scheme takes effect.

The Seven Wards and Their Boundaries

The Scheme 2 designation covers a broad band across central and northern Islington:

• Barnsbury — south-west of the borough, bordered by Caledonian to the north and Clerkenwell to the south-east
• Caledonian — runs from Caledonian Road up toward Holloway Road, adjacent to Barnsbury and Junction
• Highbury — north-east of the borough, sharing boundaries with Arsenal and Finsbury Park (Scheme 1)
• Junction — sits between Caledonian, Laycock and Holloway
• Laycock — central Islington, bordered by Mildmay to the east and Junction to the west
• Mildmay — eastern edge of the borough, sharing a boundary with Hackney
• Tufnell Park — north-west corner, adjacent to Hillrise and Tollington (both Scheme 1) and the Camden border

Ward boundaries cut through individual streets. A property on one side of a road may fall within Caledonian (designated) while the property opposite sits in Holloway (not designated). Do not rely on postcodes — use Islington Council's GIS-based address lookup tool to confirm the exact ward your property falls in.

Key Dates

The scheme was formally designated on 21 August 2026 following public consultation and cabinet approval under section 80(9) of the Housing Act 2004. Applications opened on 7 September 2026. The legal commencement date is 23 November 2026, and the scheme runs until 22 November 2031.

Once the scheme is in force, letting a property in any of these seven wards without the required licence is an offence unless a licence application has been duly made. Civil penalties can reach £40,000 per offence under the Renters' Rights Act 2025 framework (effective 1 May 2026). Tenants can also pursue rent repayment orders for up to 24 months of gross rent.

Which Properties Need a Licence

Selective licensing covers non-HMO residential lettings — properties let to a single person, a couple, two unrelated sharers, or one family. If your property has three or more occupants from two or more households, it qualifies as an HMO and needs either an additional or mandatory HMO licence instead. The HMO licence takes precedence under section 79(2) of the Housing Act 2004, so you would not need a selective licence as well.

Properties in the seven undesignated wards (Arsenal, Bunhill, Canonbury, Clerkenwell, Holloway, St Mary's & St James', St Peter's & Canalside) do not need a selective licence for single-household lets. HMO licensing still applies borough-wide regardless of ward.

Fees and Discounts

The selective licence fee is £850 per property, split into two payments:

• Part A (£450) — paid on application, covers processing and administration
• Part B (£400) — paid when the draft licence is approved, covers ongoing enforcement and compliance

Three Part B discounts can be combined:

• £75 for holding recognised professional accreditation (LLAS or NRLA)
• £50 for an EPC rating of A, B or C
• £25 for a continuous renewal (applying before an existing Islington licence expires)

A landlord with accreditation and a good EPC rating saves £125. But all discounts are forfeited if the council has issued a formal warning for failure to licence, if the application is submitted late, or if two or more requests for missing documents are needed.

How This Differs from Scheme 1

Scheme 1 (Finsbury Park, Hillrise, Tollington) has been in force since 20 May 2024 and runs until May 2029. Scheme 2 runs on a separate timeline — November 2026 to November 2031. The two schemes are independent designations. A landlord with properties in both scheme areas needs separate licences, and the licence terms will expire at different times.

The fee is the same across both schemes: £850 per property. The practical difference is timing: Scheme 1 landlords have been licensed for over two years, while Scheme 2 landlords are at the start of the process.

What to Do Now

If you let a property in any of the seven Scheme 2 wards, the application window is already open. Gather your documents — gas safety certificate, EICR, EPC, tenancy agreement and floor plan (if an HMO) — and apply through the council's online property licensing portal before 23 November 2026.

Our Islington Landlord Licensing Guide walks through the entire application process step by step, including the address lookup, document assembly, fee calculations and post-grant compliance duties for both Scheme 1 and Scheme 2 properties.

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