Property licensing

Why we license properties

Property licensing helps protect tenants, other residents and good landlords. It means we can regulate private rented properties in Islington to:

• improve property standards and management
• help address anti-social behaviour (ASB) issues
• protect our residents from bad (rogue) landlords

You need a property licence for Houses in Multiple Occupation (HMO) in all Islington wards. If you rent out any other type of private residential property in Finsbury Park, Hillrise and Tollington wards, you will also need a property licence.  

It is illegal for landlords and managing agents to let out a property that does not have a licence.

Apply for a property licence 

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Types of rented properties that we license

We run three property licensing schemes. If your property meets one of the descriptions, you must apply for a property licence by law. To find out if a property has a licence, search our property licence register

Mandatory HMO licensing

All houses or flats where:

• there are five or more unrelated people, forming two or more households
• people living there share facilities such as a kitchen, bathroom or toilet.

All buildings:

• occupied by five or more unrelated people, forming two or more households
• made up of bedsits or flats that are not fully self-contained (occupiers need to leave their bedsit or flat to use a bathroom or kitchen). 

Additional HMO licensing

On 30 October 2025, a new designation was made that renewed the Additional HMO Licensing scheme until January 2031. Read the designation. 

All houses or flats where:

• there are three or four unrelated people, forming two or more households
• people living there share facilities such as a kitchen, bathroom or toilet

All buildings:

• occupied by three or four unrelated people, forming two or more households
• made up of bedsits or flats that are not fully self-contained (occupiers need to leave their bedsit or flat to use a bathroom or kitchen)

Any building that has been converted into self-contained flats where:

• the standard of conversion does not meet the Building Regulations 1991 
• all flats are all privately rented, and the building and accommodation units are in the same ownership. This includes buildings within mixed use developments or above non-residential premises 

These are usually known as S257 HMOs.

All flats:

• let to three or more unrelated people, forming two or more households
• located within a purpose-built block of flats
• not covered by the mandatory licensing scheme

Selective licensing

All privately-rented accommodation within the Finsbury Park, Hillrise and Tollington wards occupied by:

• one or two people, whatever their relationship
• a single family or household

Legal obligation for licence holders

By holding a property licence, you are legally responsible for the management and control of the property. You must:

• follow conditions that prevent overcrowding
• make sure gas, electric and smoke alarm systems are safe
• carry out tenancy management tasks

There are other conditions you must follow depending on your type of licence.

You should read your licence when you receive it. They ensure the property you let is properly managed and provides a safe environment for people to live in.

Penalties for not having a licence

It is illegal to operate a rented property without a licence, and we can take action straight away without warning. 

The penalties include:

• a council-issued fine of up to £30,000 or prosecution in court with unlimited fines
• your tenants (and sometimes the council) can apply for a Rent Repayment Order (RRO) meaning a landlord must pay back up to 12 months rental income 

We would look to publish stories about successful cases in the news and will record them on UK-wide rogue landlord databases. 

For serious cases, we may ask for a banning order that bans a landlord from one or more of the following:  

• letting housing in England
• engaging in English letting agency work 
• engaging in English property management work.  

Someone found guilty of breaching a banning order could be imprisoned for no more than 51 weeks or given a fine, or both. 

Contact

• Tel: 020 7527 3205
• Email: property.licensing@islington.gov.uk

If you are looking for a different type of licensing, find out about other types on our licensing pages.