Houses in Multiple Occupation (HMO) Licensing

Under the Housing Act 2004, a house in multiple occupation, such as a shared house, bedsit accommodation or hostel, will need a licence if it:

• is shared by five or more people
• has three or more storeys (including basements, attics and shops)
• does not consist only of self-contained flats
• is not owned/managed by a housing association, local authority or by police/health services

Please note Islington Council is only licensing the above HMOs. The council does not have any additional licensing or registration schemes for HMOs.

Search for Licence Applications

You can search for Housing Act 2004 HMO licence applications and granted licences on the Licensing Online search page. A public Register of HMO licences and Temporary Exemption Notices is available to view by appointment.

Click on the link for Licensing Online on the right under Related Information.

Further Information

There is more information available for downloading under other options below, including the licence application form.

Please also see the links under useful websites on the right for Government fact sheets.

For further information or if you need translated materials, telephone Residential Environmental Health on 020 7527 3083