LetLens / Licensing by council / Hackney
Landlord licensing in Hackney
Mandatory HMO licensing applies across England, so a property in Hackney let to five or more people forming two or more households, who share a kitchen, bathroom or toilet, needs a licence. Hackney also runs additional HMO licensing and selective licensing, which can bring smaller HMOs, or every private rental, into licensing.
The licence you need turns on who lives in the property. Find the line that describes your let.
- Required by national lawThe same in all 296 English councils. Not a Hackney decision.
Your propertyLet to 5 or more people forming 2 or more households who share a kitchen, bathroom or toilet
You needMandatory HMO licence In force England-wide
It costs£1,400, the same for an HMO of any size
WhereEverywhere in Hackney, as everywhere in England. Scope, fee schedule and source
- What Hackney requires on topSchemes this council chose to run, and what differs from the council next door.
Your propertyA smaller shared house the national scheme does not reach, typically 3 or 4 sharers forming 2 or more households
You needAdditional HMO licence In force
It costs£1,400, the same for an HMO of any size
WhereEverywhere in Hackney. Scope, fee schedule and source
Your propertyLet privately inside a designated area, whether or not it is an HMO
You needSelective licence In force
It costs£925, the same for a rental of any size
Where17 designated wards, not the whole of Hackney. Scope, fee schedule and source
- Planning permission, a separate questionNot licensing. Whether you may create an HMO at all, decided by the council’s planning side.
Your planConverting a house (use class C3) into a small HMO (use class C4)
You needPlanning permission None in force
WhereNo direction here, so this is normally permitted development. The direction, its dates and its boundary
Each fee is for the example property named on its own line, from the council’s published schedule. The full schedules, discounts and surcharges are below.
Or open E8 2LJ, a postcode near the centre of Hackney, to see what a full report looks like.
Each scheme in detail, and the evidence behind it
Which properties each scheme catches in Hackney, in the council’s own words, with the designations in force, the whole published fee schedule and the source for every figure. The three regimes can stack: a property can need a licence under one and still be caught by another.
Mandatory HMO licensing In force England-wide
Licence fee, any size£1,400
- Where it applies
- National scheme
- Which properties
- 5 or more people forming 2 or more households, sharing a kitchen, bathroom or toilet
The published fee schedule
- Fee
- £1,400
- Paid in two parts
- £840 on application, then £560 when the licence is granted
- Licence term
- Up to 5 years
- Fee schedule dated
- 2026
Discounts
- EPC B and above (off Part B): £100
- EPC C (off Part B): £50
- Accredited landlord (off Part B): £100
- Multi-dwelling, 2nd property onward (off Part A): £100
Additional HMO licensing In force
Licence fee, any size£1,400
- Where it applies
- Council-wide
- Which properties
- Every HMO as defined by section 254(1)(a)-(d) of the Housing Act 2004 (excluding section 257 HMOs) occupied by three or more persons comprising two or more households (i.e. smaller HMOs of typically 3-4 people that fall below the mandatory 5-person threshold)
- Designations in force
- London Borough of Hackney Designation of an Area for Additional Licensing 2025
- Designation period
- 1 May 2026 to 30 April 2031
The published fee schedule, identical to the mandatory scheme’s
- Fee
- £1,400
- Paid in two parts
- £840 on application, then £560 when the licence is granted
- Licence term
- Up to 5 years
- Fee schedule dated
- 2026
Discounts
- EPC B and above (off Part B): £100
- EPC C (off Part B): £50
- Accredited landlord (off Part B): £100
- Multi-dwelling, 2nd property onward (off Part A): £100
Selective licensing In force
Licence fee, any size£925
- Where it applies
- 17 designated wards
- Which properties
- Every house occupied under a tenancy or licence (single private-rented household, or up to two individuals sharing) within the 17 designated wards, other than HMOs required to be licensed under the mandatory or additional schemes
- Designations in force
- London Borough of Hackney Designation of an Area for Selective Licensing 2025
- Designation period
- 1 May 2026 to 30 April 2031
London Borough of Hackney Designation of an Area for Selective Licensing 2025 covers 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.
The published fee schedule
- Fee
- £925
- Paid in two parts
- £555 on application, then £370 when the licence is granted
- Licence term
- Up to 5 years
- Fee schedule dated
- 2026
Discounts
- EPC B and above (off Part B): £100
- EPC C (off Part B): £50
- Accredited landlord (off Part B): £100
- Multi-dwelling, 2nd property onward (off Part A): £100
Article 4 and HMO planning permission in Hackney None in force
No HMO Article 4 direction is in force in Hackney, so converting a house into a small HMO occupied by no more than six residents (use class C4) is normally permitted development and does not need planning permission on those grounds. An HMO for seven or more residents falls outside class C4 and needs permission anyway.
The research note behind this verdict
What happens if you let without a licence
Letting or managing an unlicensed property that needs a licence is a criminal offence, under section 72 of the Housing Act 2004 for an HMO and section 95 for a property caught by selective licensing. A council can prosecute, or impose a civil penalty instead. For conduct on or after 1 May 2026 that penalty can be up to £40,000 per offence, raised from £30,000 by the Financial Penalties (Housing Offences and Breach of Banning Orders) Regulations 2026. Tenants and the council can also apply for a rent repayment order, which for conduct from the same date can claw back up to two years of rent, up from one, under section 103 of the Renters' Rights Act 2025.
Both of those maxima apply only to conduct on or after 1 May 2026. Earlier conduct is still judged against the old £30,000 and twelve-month limits. Each breach is normally penalised separately, so an unlicensed portfolio in Hackney multiplies the exposure rather than capping it.
The letting market in Hackney
Licensing is only one side of the sum. These are medians from real listings we have collected, with the number of listings behind each one, because a median over a handful of adverts is a different claim from a median over hundreds.
- Median room rent£1,078 pcmFrom 432 room listings in Hackney.
- Median whole-property rent£2,247 pcmFrom 113 whole-property listings.
- Typical 4-bed rent£3,670 pcmThe comparison a room-by-room let is measured against.
- HMO income premium+47%Five rooms let individually against one four-bedroom whole-property let, before the extra cost, licensing and voids that come with an HMO.
- Median sale price£550,000Across 390 sales in 2026, all property types, HM Land Registry.
- Gross yield, whole let4.9%Median whole-property rent for a year against the median sale price. Before voids, management, repairs, licensing and finance, all of which a real return has to carry.
- Gross yield, 5-room HMO11.8%Five rooms at the median room rent against the same median sale price. The higher figure is what pays for the licence, the extra management and the higher voids, rather than being profit on top of them.
- Typical household income£51,942Mean of net small-area median incomes around the council's main listing areas, not a council-wide median.
- Postcodes with flood exposure3.2%146 of 4,566 indexed postcodes.
- Postcodes in Flood Zone 3102 (2.2%)The Environment Agency's highest-probability zone. Lenders and insurers ask about this one by name, and it is a subset of the exposure above.
Room rent by outcode
Room rent varies by £140 a month across Hackney’s outcodes, so the council-wide median above is a starting point rather than the answer for a particular street.
| Outcode | Median room rent | Room listings | Check a postcode |
|---|---|---|---|
| E8 | £1,150 pcm | 214 | Check E8 |
| E9 | £1,010 pcm | 197 | Check E9 |
Postcode districts in Hackney
Licensing, Article 4 and the fee all turn on the exact address, because a designated area rarely follows the council boundary. LetLens holds 4,566 Hackney postcodes. Open one of its postcode districts to see the verdict, the local rent evidence and the investment model.
Common questions
Do I need an HMO licence in Hackney?
Mandatory HMO licensing applies across England, so a property in Hackney let to five or more people forming two or more households, who share a kitchen, bathroom or toilet, needs a licence. Hackney also runs additional HMO licensing and selective licensing, which can bring smaller HMOs, or every private rental, into licensing. Additional HMO licensing applies across the whole council. Selective licensing covers 17 designated wards.
How much does an HMO licence cost in Hackney?
£1,400 under the mandatory scheme, from the council's published fee schedule. The council charges the same whatever the size of the HMO. Any additional or selective scheme is priced separately.
Is there an Article 4 direction in Hackney?
No HMO Article 4 direction is in force in Hackney, so converting a house into a small HMO occupied by no more than six residents (use class C4) is normally permitted development and does not need planning permission on those grounds. An HMO for seven or more residents falls outside class C4 and needs permission anyway.
Which wards in Hackney are covered by licensing?
Selective licensing under London Borough of Hackney Designation of an Area for Selective Licensing 2025 covers 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. A designation can cover only part of a named ward, so check the exact address rather than relying on the ward name alone.
What is the penalty for letting an unlicensed property in Hackney?
Letting or managing a property that needs a licence without one is a criminal offence under the Housing Act 2004. The council can prosecute or impose a civil penalty, which for conduct on or after 1 May 2026 can be up to £40,000 per offence, raised from £30,000 by the Financial Penalties (Housing Offences and Breach of Banning Orders) Regulations 2026. Tenants or the council can also seek a rent repayment order covering up to two years of rent for conduct from that date, up from one year, under section 103 of the Renters' Rights Act 2025. Each breach is normally penalised separately. Indicative only, not legal advice.
About Hackney
Hackney is a local housing authority in London, with a population of about 281,000 and 4,566 live postcodes indexed by LetLens. It is the licensing authority for every private rented property inside its boundary, and the local planning authority that decides whether an Article 4 direction applies.
Nearby councils
Licensing stops at the council boundary, so a street on the other side of it can carry a different scheme and a different fee.
Contact Hackney
Hackney licensing team · [email protected] · 020 8356 4866