Check which property licence you need

If you’re a landlord, you usually need a licence to rent your property.

A property licence makes sure your property meets certain standards and is a safe and appropriate space for tenants.

Once you know which licence you need, you can apply for a licence.

How to choose the right licence

The type of licence you need depends on how many tenants you have and how many households they’re in.

A household is either a single person or members of the same family who live together. A family includes people who are:

in a married or unmarried couple
relatives or half-relatives – for example grandparents, aunts, uncles, siblings
step-parents and step-children

A house in multiple occupation (HMO) is a property rented out by at least 3 people who are not from 1 ‘household’ (for example a family) but share facilities like the bathroom and kitchen. It’s sometimes called a ‘house share’.

Types of licence

There are 3 types of licences for properties in Hackney: selective, additional HMO and mandatory HMO.

Find out how much each licence costs and how to pay for it.

Selective licences

You can apply for this licence from 1 March 2026.

You’ll need a selective licence if you rent out your property to a single household, a single tenant or 2 individuals sharing, and the property is in one of the following 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

If your property is not in one of these wards, you do not need a selective licence, but you might need an additional HMO or mandatory HMO licence.

You can check which ward your property is in.

Who does not need a selective licence

You could be exempt from needing a selective licence, for example if:

you have a temporary exemption notice in place
you have an interim or final management order in place

To see a full list of exemptions, view the selective licence designation notice (PDF 308KB).

Additional HMO licences

You can apply for this licence from 1 March 2026.

You’ll need an additional HMO licence if:

the property you rent in Hackney is shared by 3 or 4 people from 2 or more households – this includes houses, flats in converted houses and flats in blocks
the tenants share facilities, such as a kitchen or bathroom

Certain properties with no shared facilities might still need an additional HMO licence if they’ve been converted into flats but use a shared living space.

Who does not need an additional HMO licence

You might be exempt from needing an additional HMO licence if, for example:

you have a temporary exemption notice in place
you have a final management order in place
the building is listed in Schedule 14 of the Housing Act

To see a full list of exemptions, view the additional HMO licence designation notice (PDF 315KB).

Mandatory HMO licences

You’ll need a mandatory HMO licence if:

your property is a shared home with 5 or more people from 2 or more different households
the tenants share facilities, such as a kitchen or bathroom

Who does not need a mandatory HMO licence

View a full list of mandatory HMO licence exemptions on legislation.gov.uk.

Licence conditions

Your property needs to follow the standards that are outlined in the licence conditions. This includes rules around:

bedroom size
kitchen and bathroom facilities
gas and electricity safety
fire and carbon monoxide safety

View the:

If your property does not meet the required standards or you breach the conditions of your licence, the council might take enforcement action. This could include revoking your licence, issuing a civil penalty of up to £30,000 per offence, or prosecution. If you’re prosecuted in court, you might receive an unlimited fine.

For more information about creating safe environments for your tenants, view the guidance for selective, additional HMO and mandatory HMO licences (Google Doc).