Licensing

Overview

Additional HMO licensing will be introduced in Barking & Dagenham in the new year. The new scheme will come into effect after a comprehensive public consultation and Cabinet approval on 9th January 2025. Read the full designation notice (PDF, 258.21 KB). Discounts will be available for landlords who demonstrate good practice. Further information on how landlords can obtain a discount and apply for a licence will be published in the coming weeks.

About Property Licensing

We are committed to ensuring all residents have safe and healthy homes. To achieve this, we use various enforcement tools, including property licensing, to ensure that private rented homes are decent and well-maintained. Property licensing schemes allow us to improve the condition and management of privately rented properties by requiring landlords to obtain a licence to rent out their properties legally.

The schemes vary according to the types of properties covered (e.g., family homes or shared homes). As part of the licence application process, we conduct checks to confirm that a landlord is compliant with their legal obligations and is deemed a "fit and proper person." This includes an inspection of the property to identify any potential hazards to tenants' health.

Current Property Licensing Schemes

Landlords and/or property managing agents letting a property in the London Borough of Barking and Dagenham must apply for a licence if they fall into one of the licensing categories below:

Mandatory HMO (House in Multiple Occupation) Licence – required for properties occupied by five or more persons living in two or more households
From 9 January 2025, Additional HMO Licence – required for properties occupied by three or four persons living in two or more households. Applications will be accepted from Monday 9 December 2024

Please note, per the borough's Article 4 Directions, you must apply for planning permission for any proposed small HMOs before conversion.

Proposed New Schemes

The council's Selective Licensing designation ended on Saturday 31 August 2024. As of September 2024, there is no requirement to licence a privately rented single-family home in Barking & Dagenham.

Earlier this year, we undertook a ten-week public consultation to seek feedback on our proposals to introduce: a replacement Selective Licensing scheme for single-family homes, and a new Additional HMO Licensing scheme for small, shared homes (HMOs) not covered by the mandatory HMO licensing. More information on the public consultation, the findings, and our official response can be found on our consultation webpage.

Further to the feedback received, the final proposals for the new Additional HMO Licensing scheme were approved by the Council's Cabinet on 23 July 2024. This scheme will come into effect on 9 January 2025.

Similarly, the final proposals for the replacement Selective Licensing scheme, considering feedback from the consultation, were approved by the Council's Assembly on 18 September 2024. Due to the scale of the scheme, we are currently in the process of seeking confirmation from the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government. Should our application be successful, we anticipate launching the new scheme in early 2025.