Hackney Council is proposing new property licensing schemes that could affect more than 31,000 rental properties in the borough. The plans include a new selective licensing scheme covering 17 areas, potentially impacting over 26,000 homes, as well as an additional licensing scheme for Houses in Multiple Occupation (HMOs), which could affect more than 5,000 properties.

The consultation is expected to begin in summer 2025, with the schemes potentially taking effect in 2026.

Past Scheme Oversight

The announcement comes after the council acknowledged an error regarding the expiry of its previous licensing schemes. Although the schemes officially ended on 30 September 2023, the council’s website incorrectly listed the end date as 30 October 2023, and licences continued to be processed until March 2024.

A Freedom of Information request revealed that over 2,300 applications were received but unprocessed at the point of expiry. Despite the schemes having lapsed, Hackney granted nearly 2,350 licences in the months that followed.

Rising Fees

Fees for the new schemes are also set to increase. The proposed HMO licence fee is £1,400, up from £950 in 2018. The selective licensing fee would rise from £750 to £950, representing a 23% increase.

The council has yet to confirm a firm consultation start date. Industry observers will be watching closely, especially given the previous administrative delays and fee increases.