HMO Licence in Hackney: Fee, Who Needs One and How to Apply

The fee, from Hackney’s own page

'Licence costs. Licence type | Part A cost | Part B cost | Total. Selective £555 £370 £925. Additional HMO £840 £560 £1400. Mandatory HMO £840 £560 £1400.' Discounts: 'Energy performance certificate of B and above £100 off part B. Energy performance certificate of C £50 off part B. Accredited landlord £100 off part B. Multi-dwelling £100 off part A.'

Mandatory and additional HMO fees are identical (£1,400) per the council's own table;

Hackney’s new-licence fee sits above the median of the 34 councils whose fee we could read from their own pages (£1,364). The cheapest verified is Islington at £288 and the dearest Lambeth at £2,530; fee structures differ — some charge per room or in occupancy bands, so a large HMO can cost far more than the headline figure above.

Who needs a licence in Hackney

The national rule is the same everywhere in England and Wales — gov.uk: “You must have a licence if you’re renting out a large HMO in England or Wales. Your property is defined as a large HMO if all of the following apply: it is rented to 5 or more people who form more than 1 household; some or all tenants share toilet, bathroom or kitchen facilities; at least 1 tenant pays rent (or their employer pays it for them).” … “A licence is valid for a maximum of 5 years. You must renew your licence before it runs out. You need a separate licence for each HMO you run.” Whether a smaller shared house needs a licence depends on whether the council runs an additional or selective scheme:

Additional licensing (smaller HMOs): yes. Scheme dates: from 2026-05-01. Fee £1,400. Same £1,400 total (£840+£560) as mandatory per the council's own table. Check the scheme map before letting to three or four sharers.

Selective licensing (all private lets in an area): yes. Borough-wide. Fee £925. 'Selective £555 £370 £925.' Inside a selective area every private tenancy needs a licence, HMO or not.

Letting a licensable HMO without a licence is an offence; the penalties, rent repayment orders and the fee’s tax treatment are on the HMO licence in England guide.

The Hackney numbers around an HMO

• How many HMOs: the council estimated 6,038 HMOs in Hackney, of which 1,050 were mandatory-licensable and 121 licences had been issued (LAHS 2024-25, MHCLG) — every council’s figures.
• Rents: the average 4+-bedroom rent in Hackney is £3,656 a month (ONS, July 2026) against £2,644 across all sizes — rents, prices and yield in Hackney.
• EPC: 23% of EPCs lodged here in the last year were below band C, the level a rented home needs by 1 October 2030 (EPC ratings in Hackney).
• Council tax: Band D is £2,060 for 2026/27; in an HMO let room by room the landlord is usually the liable person (council tax in Hackney).

How to apply

Applications go to the council, not to a national body. Have the floor plans, gas and electrical certificates, fire-safety details and the manager’s details ready; most councils take a non-refundable first payment on submission and the balance on grant (the quote above shows where Hackney splits its fee, if it does).

Apply or check on Hackney’s site

All councils compared · Student HMOs and Ground 4A · Renters’ Rights Act rules