Apply for a property licence

Apply for a selective, additional HMO or mandatory HMO licence.

Before you apply

You can apply for selective and additional HMO licences from 1 March 2026.

Before you apply for a licence, you must make sure your property meets the standards outlined in the licence conditions.

You can check what licence you need and what standards you have to meet.

What you need for your application

In your application, you need to provide the following information about your property:

• your name, contact details and date of birth
• details of those with an interest in the property, such as freeholder, leaseholder or managing agent
• details about the property layout, amenities and fire safety precautions 
• gas safety certificate from a registered gas safe engineer
• details of current occupants, for example number of adults and children
• any upcoming changes to the number of occupants

Supplying the following information with your application will help us avoid delays in processing your licence, but you do not need to include it when you submit your application:

• floor plans of the entire property 
• type of property – including details about room sizes, location and facilities
• electrical and fire safety reports (EICR)
• emergency lighting certificate (mandatory HMO only)
• tenancy agreement
• landlord accreditation scheme certificate if you’re accredited

Reasons we might reject your application

We might reject your application if:

• your property does not meet the correct standards outlined in the licence conditions
• you have a ‘banning order’ against you
• you’ve been convicted of a crime that was fraudulent, violent or related to drugs and sexual offences
• we have evidence you’ve discriminated against someone based on their sex, race, ethnic or national origins or disability
• you’ve broken any part of the law relating to housing, landlords or tenants

For more information on why we might reject your application, see our licensing policy (Google Doc).

If you live abroad

If you live abroad but want to rent out a property you own in Hackney, you need to have a UK-based managing agent to apply for a property licence.

The managing agent will need to take legal responsibility for all the conditions and obligations that come with being a license holder.

It’s best to choose an agent who’s a member of a trusted accreditation scheme or association.

Licence costs and discounts

You pay for the licence in 2 parts.

You need to pay part A when you submit your application.

If we reject your application or you withdraw it, we will not refund this first payment.

You need to pay part B once we’ve assessed your application and approved your licence.

We will not issue the final license until you’ve paid the full fee.

Licence costs

Licence type	Part A cost	Part B cost	Total
Selective	£555	£370	£925
Additional HMO	£840	£560	£1400

Mandatory licences are £950. You pay this when you submit your application.

Licence discounts

Reason for discount	Selective and additional HMO licence discounts
Energy performance certificate of B and above	£100 off part B
Energy performance certificate of C	£50 off part B
Accredited landlord	£100 off part B
Multi-dwelling	£100 off part A

If you’re an accredited landlord applying for a mandatory HMO licence you can get a £75 discount, so your licence will cost £875.

For more information about discounts, view the schedule of proposed fees, charges and discounts (Google Doc).

Mandatory HMO licence cost increase from 1 April 2026

The cost of a mandatory HMO licence will increase from 1 April 2026. It will be paid in 2 parts. Part A will be £840 and part B will be £560.

If you’re eligible, you’ll get the same discounts that you can get for the other licences.

Apply for a property licence

Apply for a licence

If you cannot apply online, call 020 8356 4866 or email property.licensing@hackney.gov.uk.

After you apply

We’ll contact you if we need more information. We cannot reply to emails asking for progress updates.

You can continue to rent your property while your application is being processed.

We’ll start processing selective and additional HMO applications from 1 May 2026.