Council licensing report

Landlord licensing in Hackney

Hackney runs at least one local property licensing scheme. Some rules apply to the whole council. Others apply only to listed streets, wards, or mapped areas, so the postcode alone does not always give a yes-or-no answer.

What landlords need to know

Status

Hackney

Selective

Additional HMO

Mandatory HMO (national)

Selective licensing: 1 active
Additional HMO licensing: 1 active
Mandatory HMO licensing: Applies nationally
Local scheme coverage: Listed streets or areas
Active local schemes: 2 active schemes
Last checked: 22 May 2026

Selective licensing in Hackney

Who is covered, fees, dates and exemptions.

HMO licensing in Hackney

Mandatory and additional HMO rules with thresholds.

Check a postcode and address in Hackney

Enter the postcode to confirm the council, then pick the address. If a scheme uses a street list, we check the selected street against it and give a direct yes or no.

Local schemes in Hackney

Hackney selective licensing 2026

Selective licensing · active · Listed wards · 1 May 2026 to 30 Apr 2031

Coverage: Listed wards
Fee: £925

Hackney selective licensing applies to single-household lets, single tenants and two individuals sharing in 17 named wards.

Show the 17 wards covered by this scheme

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.

Hackney additional HMO licensing 2026

Additional HMO licensing · active · Whole council area · 1 May 2026 to 30 Apr 2031

Coverage: Whole council area
Fee: £1,400

Hackney additional HMO licensing applies borough-wide to properties shared by three or four people from two or more households where facilities are shared.

How each scheme is scoped in Hackney

A property licensing scheme is not the same everywhere. A council can designate the whole borough, a handful of wards, a list of streets, or a boundary drawn on a map. Whichever option Hackney chose changes how confident you can be from the postcode alone.

Hackney selective licensing 2026

This scheme covers 17 named wards. The postcode confirms the council, but the address has to fall inside one of those wards before the licence applies.

Hackney additional HMO licensing 2026

This scheme covers the whole of Hackney. Every privately rented property inside the council boundary is in scope.

Common rental setups in Hackney

The right licence depends on who lives in the property, how the household is structured, and where the property sits in the council area. These are the situations we see most often, with what Hackney's current rules say about each.

Single tenant in a flat or studio

Licence needed

One adult renting a self-contained flat or a studio with their own kitchen and bathroom.

May need a selective licence if the address sits inside Hackney's designated scheme area.

Couple renting a whole house

Licence needed

Two people from one household renting an entire house on one tenancy.

May need a selective licence if the address sits inside Hackney's designated scheme area.

Family renting a whole house

Licence needed

Parents and dependent children from one household renting an entire house.

May need a selective licence if the address sits inside Hackney's designated scheme area.

Three sharers from different households

Licence needed

Three friends or three unrelated tenants on a joint tenancy, sharing a kitchen and bathroom.

Needs an additional HMO licence anywhere in Hackney. Mandatory HMO licensing only kicks in at five or more occupiers, so this property is not in scope of the national rule.

Four sharers from different households

Licence needed

Four unrelated tenants sharing a kitchen and bathroom.

Needs an additional HMO licence anywhere in Hackney. Mandatory HMO licensing only kicks in at five or more occupiers, so this property is not in scope of the national rule.

Five or more sharers from different households

Licence needed

Five or more unrelated tenants sharing a kitchen and bathroom.

Needs a mandatory HMO licence anywhere in England. The five-or-more, two-or-more-households test is national, not council-specific. Hackney's additional HMO scheme covers the whole council, so its conditions stack on top of the mandatory licence.

Lodger with a live-in landlord

No licence needed

Owner-occupier letting a room to one or two lodgers in their own home.

Letting to a lodger while you live in the property is exempt from HMO licensing in most cases. Selective licensing exemptions also normally cover owner-occupier lets.

Student house of five

Licence needed

Five students from at least two households sharing a converted house.

Buying a property in Hackney

A property licence does not transfer when a property changes hands. If you buy a let property that needs a licence under Hackney's rules, the existing licence ends and you need to apply for a new one in your own name. The seller's solicitor should disclose any existing licence and any open enforcement notices.

For conveyancing in Hackney, ask three things before exchange. First, is the property inside any current selective or additional HMO scheme area. Second, is there an active licence in the seller's name and on what conditions. Third, has the council issued a civil penalty, banning order or rent repayment order against the seller in the last six years.

Owner-occupiers buying to live in the property do not need a licence. The rules only apply when a property is rented out.

Talk to Hackney directly

Anything on this page that you cannot find an answer to, the council's licensing team can confirm in minutes.

Email the licensing team

[email protected]

Phone the licensing team

020 8356 4866

Apply for a licence

Application form on Hackney's website

Public licence register

Search licensed properties in Hackney

Official licensing page

Hackney council guidance