Hackney (Parliament Politics Magazine) – Hackney Council will consult on proposed additional and selective landlord licensing schemes aimed at improving housing standards and tenant protections.
Despite receiving no exposure, the decision was taken during a Cabinet meeting on April 28, 2025.
The prior selective and additional licensing schemes implemented by Hackney Council in 2018 were plagued with issues. It took years for the council’s IT system to recover from a 2020 cyberattack that interfered with the processing of license applications.
London Property Licensing found that 652 selective license applications and 1,700 additional license applications had been submitted but had not yet been completed by the conclusion of Hackney Council’s additional and selective licensing schemes on September 30, 2023.
Only when London Property Licensing filed a Freedom of Information request in April 2024 did this information become public. The matter was forwarded to the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) after the council failed to respond.
Following the council’s continued lack of engagement, the ICO declared in July 2024 that Hackney Council had violated section 10 of the Freedom of Information Act. In September 2024, the information was eventually made public.
According to these investigations, following the conclusion of both licensing schemes, Hackney Council awarded 649 selective licenses, denied 6 license applications, and granted 1,697 extra licenses.
A borough-wide supplementary licensing plan and a significantly larger selective licensing scheme encompassing seventeen council wards are among the latest proposals. Only Haggerston, Hoxton East, Shoreditch, Hoxton West, and Woodberry Down council wards are exempt from selective licensing.
More than 5,000 HMOs might require a license under the additional licensing scheme and more than 26,000 homes under the selective licensing scheme if the existing proposals are carried out.
The new suggested prices are £1,400 and £925, respectively, whereas the old systems charged £950 and £750 for extra and selective license applications.
This amounts to a 23 percent rise in selective licensing fees and a 47 percent increase in additional licensing fees.
It’s unclear exactly when the licensing consultation will begin. According to Hackney Council, both licensing regimes will be introduced in early 2026, with the start date set for the summer of 2025.
How will the new landlord licensing schemes impact Hackney renters and landlords?
By imposing certain requirements on landlords, the programs seek to address substandard and dangerous housing, which should result in safer and better-maintained residences.
Licensing improves living conditions in neighborhoods by assisting in the identification and prosecution of rogue landlords who support antisocial behavior.
Tenants are less likely to experience unlawful evictions or reside in subpar properties when enforcement and licensing are more stringent.
Tenants may enjoy more stable and safe tenancies if standards are raised and landlords are held responsible.
The proposed £925 for selective licenses and £1,400 for extra HMO licenses will be the license fees that landlords must pay, which might raise their operating expenses.
Landlords are required to invest in property maintenance in order to comply with licensing requirements pertaining to safety, energy efficiency, and property management.