Owners of privately rented homes in Hackney could require a licence to let out their property, under new Council proposals to raise standards for renters and protect them from rogue landlords.
Under the proposals, which will be subject to a consultation running from Thursday 12 June for 14 weeks, most private landlords would need a five-year licence for each property they own, which would set a series of minimum standards to ensure they are well maintained and managed.
Fees could be set at up to £925 for a single home and £1,400 for a house in multiple occupation. The scheme would be cost neutral to the Council, with licensing fees covering its running costs and the cost of inspecting and monitoring the condition of homes in the borough.
Private rented homes make up nearly a third of residential properties in Hackney and play a valuable role in providing housing for residents of the borough. Many landlords in Hackney provide well-maintained, responsibly managed homes and the private rented sector provides important housing choice for local people.
However, a recent independent review of Hackney’s private rented sector found that a significant proportion of privately rented homes (17%) may contain serious hazards – above the national average of 10%. These issues are even more prevalent in houses in multiple occupation (HMOs), with 30.1% of HMOs in the borough predicted to have a serious hazard.
Houses in multiple occupation, where five or more people making up two or more households are living in a privately rented property, are already subject to mandatory licensing in the UK. The proposals under consultation in Hackney could see a mandatory license introduced for smaller HMOs, where three or more people in two or more households share toilet, washing and cooking facilities.
Under the proposals, a selective licensing scheme could also be introduced for all private rented homes in 17 of the 21 wards in Hackney. The wards have been selected because of high proportions of private rented properties and high levels of poor housing conditions.
The scheme, which would be cost neutral, would also be used to champion landlords who do the right thing, and would offer guidance and support to all landlords in the borough. However, should monitoring and inspections find substandard conditions, landlords could be liable for unlimited fines.
Caroline Woodley, Mayor of Hackney, said:
“We’ve long campaigned for changes to the private rented sector, including a ban on section 21 no fault evictions.
“We know most landlords do the right thing but some of the conditions private tenants face are unacceptable and potentially dangerous. That is why we take strong enforcement action where we can, and why we’re proposing to introduce this new licensing scheme, which would allow us to regulate the majority of private rented homes in the borough and build a network of responsible landlords.
“These proposals need to work for both landlords and tenants so we’d urge them to have their say in the consultation.”
The consultation is open until Sunday 21 September 2025. People can have their say at: bit.ly/Hackney-Licensing.
Respondents’ views will be considered alongside evidence on the private rented sector before a final decision is made later this year on whether or not to implement the proposed scheme.
