Licensing · London Borough of Hackney

Landlord licensing in Hackney

London Borough of Hackney runs 2 discretionary licensing schemes on top of national HMO licensing.

Here is each one — where it applies, when it runs and what it costs — with the council page it came from.

Selective licensing

Homes let to a single household, a single tenant or two individuals sharing, in 17 of the borough's 21 wards.

Brownswood
Cazenove
Clissold
Dalston
De Beauvoir
Hackney Central
Hackney Downs
Hackney Wick
Homerton
King's Park
Lea Bridge
London Fields
Shacklewell
Springfield
Stamford Hill West
Stoke Newington
Victoria

£925, paid in two parts (£555 on application, £370 on approval); £100 off Part B for an EPC of B or above or an accredited landlord, £50 off Part B for an EPC of C. Fees(read 22 October 2026)

The council says the scheme came into force in May 2026; its pages give the month, not the day.

London Borough of Hackney — scheme page(read 22 October 2026)

Additional HMO licensing

Borough-wide: homes shared by 3 or 4 people from 2 or more households who share facilities such as a kitchen or bathroom.

£1,400, paid in two parts (£840 on application, £560 on approval). Fees(read 22 October 2026)

The council says the scheme came into force in May 2026; its pages give the month, not the day.

London Borough of Hackney — scheme page(read 22 October 2026)

Licensed in Hackney? Add the licence and its expiry, and the reminder emails start 30 days before it's due — beside your gas, EICR and EPC dates.

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Mandatory HMO licensing applies as well

Everywhere in England, a house or flat let to five or more people forming two or more households, who share a kitchen, bathroom or toilet, needs a mandatory HMO licence from the council — whether or not the area has a scheme of its own. The schemes above add smaller HMOs (additional licensing) or ordinary single lets (selective licensing) in the areas they name.

A property needs one licence, not several: an HMO holding a mandatory or additional licence does not also need a selective one. How HMO licensing works, and keeping the renewal in view.

The PRS database, in London

Hackney is in London, where registration on the government's rental property register is required from 15 July 2027 with a deadline of 14 October 2027. The register asks whether the property needs a licence and for its number, so the licence comes first. London: what to have ready.

Where it sits

Every fact on this page was read from London Borough of Hackney's own pages on 22 October 2026 and is linked beside it. Councils change fees each April and redraw schemes every five years; the council's page is the authority, and where it differs from this one, it wins. This is not legal advice.

Whether a particular address is inside a scheme is the council's to answer — use its address checker or map, not a ward name alone, because several schemes here cover only part of a ward.

LetBuddy sits beside the council, not in place of it. It holds the licence as a dated item on the property with its renewal reminded like a certificate, keeps the licence and the gas, EICR and EPC copies a council asks for, and records the licence number the PRS database will want. Applying is yours to do: nothing is submitted to the council from here.

Common questions

Do I need a licence to rent out a property in Hackney?

Possibly, depending on where the property is and who lives in it. London Borough of Hackney runs 2 selective and additional HMO licensing schemes, set out on this page with the council's own page for each. On top of that, any HMO with five or more people in two or more households needs a mandatory HMO licence wherever it is in England.

What happens if I let without a licence I need?

Letting a licensable property unlicensed is a criminal offence, and councils can instead issue a civil penalty. Tenants can apply for a rent repayment order — repaying up to two years' rent — doubled from one year on 1 May 2026.

Does the PRS database replace licensing?

No. The Register Your Rental Property service sits on top of licensing: it asks whether the property needs a selective, additional or HMO licence and for the licence number if it has one. Both apply.

How long does a licence last?

Usually up to five years, but never beyond the scheme itself: a selective or additional designation can run for at most five years from the day it came into force, so a licence granted late in a scheme can be shorter. When a council renews its scheme, landlords apply again under the new one.

Keep the licence dates in one place

Your first property is free, permanently. Add the licence with its expiry and the reminders run by email whether or not you sign in — next to the gas, EICR and EPC dates the council checks when you renew.

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Read from London Borough of Hackney's pages on 22 October 2026. Statutory limits from the Housing Act 2004, ss.60 and 84.

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