Landlords and homeowners

Most landlords in Hackney provide a good, professional service and want to ensure their tenants have a safe and stable home. That’s why we work with landlords to help them understand their responsibilities; offer training, accreditation and networking opportunities; and ensure they are informed about the changes in regulations and legislation that they should know about

For landlords who don’t look after their properties or treat their tenants fairly, we have a range of powers that we use to take action against them.

Know your responsibilities

As a landlord you have various legal responsibilities, including:

• keeping your rented properties safe and free from health hazards
• making sure all gas and electrical equipment is safely installed and maintained
• providing an Energy Performance Certificate for the property
• Installing smoke and carbon monoxide alarms
• protecting your tenant’s deposit in a government-approved scheme
• checking your tenant has the right to rent your property
• giving your tenant a copy of the How to rent checklist when they start renting from you

For more information about your legal responsibilities as a landlord, see gov.uk.

Get licensed

In addition, we’ve introduced our own property licensing measures which mean that landlords of some properties must have a licence before letting them out. These licences require landlords to keep their homes in good condition and ensure high standards of management, or risk enforcement from the Council including financial penalty notices of up to £30,000 or an unlimited fine from the court.​​​​​​​

This applies to all homes in the Brownswood, Cazenove and Stoke Newington wards, and every House in Multiple Occupation (HMO) across Hackney.

Training and accreditation

You can give your tenants the confidence that you are a good landlord or agent by joining the London Landlord Accreditation Scheme (LLAS).

The scheme is suitable for anyone involved in letting out property, from a new landlord to an established letting agent, with training on everything from tenancy agreements to legislation. Being accredited by LLAS also means you meet the London Rental Standard – a voluntary set of minimum standards that the Mayor of London expects landlords and managing and letting agents operating in the private rented sector to meet.

The National Landlords Association (NLA) and the Residential Landlords Association  (RLA) also run courses and training for landlords.

Work with us

Our landlord forums provide the opportunity to meet with the Council and other landlords. The forums aim to:

• promote good quality accommodation in the borough and encourage good practice  
• provide a platform for you to share experiences of letting accommodation in Hackney
• increase awareness of changes in legislation and procedures
• allow the council to consult with you on new policies

If you’re an accredited landlord with the LLAS, attending the forum will earn you CPD points. 

Sign up for the next forum

Do the right thing

Our commitment to create a better system for renters in Hackney includes making things fairer for renters who receive benefits. We ask all landlords not to discriminate against housing benefit claimants, and will always support renters who receive benefits if they feel unfairly treated by their landlords because of this. 

Our Landlord Direct service helps landlords accommodate tenants receiving benefits by providing the information you need, including:

• a list of your current and past tenants that have claimed housing benefit
• a summary of details relating to your tenants claim
• next payment details for each of your tenants
• previous payment details for each of your tenants
• details of any invoices for each of your tenants  

Stay informed

Keep informed about changes in legislation, upcoming landlord forums and other issues that affect landlords in Hackney.

Sign up