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We currently show scheme records, official links, and supporting research for this council.
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This page includes the scheme records we currently hold, but council policies and boundaries can change. Treat it as a researched starting point and verify the latest position on the official council pages before acting.
Based on publicly available information, we show the licensing status we currently hold for London Borough of Barnet, highlight mandatory HMO rules, and link you to official council sources for verification where we currently have them.
Confirm the current scheme boundary, licence fee, exemptions, application route, and any recent policy changes on the council website before making decisions.
Our current data is based on publicly available information. Always verify the latest licensing position, scheme boundaries, fees, and exemptions with London Borough of Barnet.
We research council licensing information from public sources and present it as general guidance. We do not replace the council's own licensing pages or legal advice.
Council updates
We will email you if London Borough of Barnet introduces, renews, or changes a licensing scheme. Free, occasional updates only. Always verify final requirements on the council website.
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This page may already answer a lot of the question. Use the paid products only if you want a quicker written summary, a more risk-focused view, or ongoing monitoring.
Property Licensing Check
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A concise written review for one property, postcode, or council situation based on current public council-source information.
Best for: Best for landlords, agents, and buyers who want written clarity quickly on one case.
Delivery: Concise report by email, usually within 2 working days
Licensing Due Diligence Report
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A more tailored, more decision-oriented, and more risk-focused review for higher-stakes property decisions.
Best for: Best for buyers, investors, agents, landlords refinancing, and conveyancers handling material decisions.
Delivery: Analyst-reviewed report with stronger risk framing
Alerts and monitoring
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A lighter monitoring tier for selected councils or areas, aimed at landlords and smaller investors who want ongoing updates.
Best for: Best for landlords and smaller investors who want ongoing updates without building their own tracking process.
Delivery: Monthly monitoring and change alerts
These options are designed to save research time, improve clarity, and support decision-making. Final reliance should still be tied back to the relevant council and, where necessary, professional advice.
Enter a postcode to see whether it appears to fall within a licensing scheme area, then verify the result with the council.
Borough-wide additional HMO licensing covering all HMOs occupied by 3 or more people from 2 or more households who share facilities. Also covers Section 257 HMOs (certain converted blocks of flats) where the building has 3 or more storeys, contains 3 or more privately rented flats, and all flats are under the same ownership or control.
The scheme was designated at the Housing and Growth Committee meeting on 17 February 2022, coming into force on 27 October 2022. The scheme runs for five years. A Year Two Review Cabinet report was published in 2024. As of August 2025, 1,330 HMOs were listed on Barnet's public register under mandatory and additional licensing combined. Nearly 77% of licensed HMOs were found to require major conditions, which informed the decision to maintain the scheme. The council cited proximity to transport hubs and transient populations as key factors in HMO prevalence. Property types covered: Houses in Multiple Occupation with 3 or 4 unrelated occupants from more than one household sharing facilities (kitchen/bathroom), including certain Section 257 converted blocks of flats (3+ storeys, 3+ privately rented flats, unified ownership/control). Properties with 5+ occupants are covered by mandatory HMO licensing.. Exemptions or exclusions: Properties already subject to mandatory HMO licensing (5+ occupants) are excluded from the additional scheme. Section 257 buildings not meeting the 3-storey/3-flat/unified ownership criteria are excluded..
Our current data shows this scheme based on public information. Always verify the latest fees, dates, and boundary wording on the official council page.
National mandatory HMO licensing applying to all HMOs in Barnet occupied by 5 or more people forming more than one household who share facilities. Applies borough-wide as a statutory requirement under the Housing Act 2004.
Mandatory HMO licensing applies nationally since 2006, extended to all properties with 5+ persons in 2018. Minimum bedroom sizes apply: 4.64m² for children under 10, 6.51m² for persons aged 10+, 10.22m² for two persons aged 10+. Paper applications no longer accepted after 31 October 2024 - all applications must be submitted online. As of August 2025, Barnet had 1,330 HMOs licensed under mandatory and additional licensing combined. Property types covered: Properties meeting the standard test, self-contained flat test, or converted building test HMO definition in Section 254 of the Housing Act 2004, occupied by 5 or more people forming more than one household who share amenities such as a kitchen or bathroom.. Exemptions or exclusions: Purpose-built self-contained flats within blocks of 3 or more self-contained flats. Properties managed by social housing providers or educational institutions..
Our current data shows this scheme based on public information. Always verify the latest fees, dates, and boundary wording on the official council page.
Proposed selective licensing covering all privately rented properties (not covered by HMO licensing) in Burnt Oak, Colindale North and Colindale South wards, excluding certain regeneration areas. Applies to single-occupant homes, two-person shared accommodations, and family households in the private rented sector.
Cabinet approved Phase 1 in February 2022 following a public consultation from 5 August to 5 November 2021. The scheme was originally expected to be designated in October 2022 with a January 2023 launch. No designation was made. The council subsequently stated the designation would be signed in 2024 - again not made. As of March 2026 the scheme remains undesignated. Delays attributed to issues with licence application software and resourcing. A draft 2026 Selective Licensing Business Case (published January 2026) references a combined updated proposal. The council website (as of October 2025) still states the designation is 'due to be signed in 2024'. London Property Licensing has noted significant uncertainty about whether a designation can validly be made based on the 2021 consultation and 2015-2020 evidence base. This scheme requires only council designation (not Secretary of State confirmation) as it would cover fewer than 20% of private rented properties in the borough. Property types covered: All privately rented properties let to a single household or two individual sharers that are not already subject to mandatory or additional HMO licensing.. Exemptions or exclusions: Properties already licensed under mandatory or additional HMO licensing. Properties exempt under the Selective Licensing of Houses (Specified Exemptions) (England) Order 2006. Certain regeneration areas within the wards are excluded..
Our current data shows this scheme based on public information. Always verify the latest fees, dates, and boundary wording on the official council page.
Proposed selective licensing covering all privately rented properties (not covered by HMO licensing) in ten wards. The combined Phase 1 and Phase 2 schemes would cover a total of thirteen wards across Barnet.
Cabinet approved Phase 2 at a meeting on 12 December 2023, following a public consultation from 22 February to 31 July 2023 (369 online responses, 7 written). 70% of respondents opposed the scheme; opposition was strongest among letting/managing agents (100%) and private landlords (94%). Approval of Phase 2 was conditional on Phase 1 being 'adequately resourced and working effectively' first. As Phase 1 has still not been designated, Phase 2 cannot begin. Because the combined schemes (Phase 1 + Phase 2) would cover more than 20% of privately rented properties in Barnet, Secretary of State confirmation is required before Phase 2 can come into force. A draft 2025 designation document for Phase 2 was found online but contains errors and has not been signed or dated. A draft 2026 Business Case published in January 2026 suggests the council is preparing a revised approach. As of March 2026, neither scheme has commenced. Property types covered: All privately rented properties let to a single household or two individual sharers that are not already subject to mandatory or additional HMO licensing.. Exemptions or exclusions: Properties already licensed under mandatory or additional HMO licensing. Properties exempt under the Selective Licensing of Houses (Specified Exemptions) (England) Order 2006..
Our current data shows this scheme based on public information. Always verify the latest fees, dates, and boundary wording on the official council page.
These public research signals help show how recently this page was reviewed and what still needs checking before you rely on it.
Last reviewed
27 March 2026
Research confidence
Medium (69/100)
Sources checked
14
HMO licensing data (dates, fees, discounts, register) confirmed directly from official barnet.gov.uk pages and corroborated by London Property Licensing and Kamma. Fee structure (Jan 2026 update) confirmed directly from the official Barnet fees page. Selective licensing status (approved but not yet designated or active) is well-documented across multiple sources including London Property Licensing's detailed analysis and official Barnet cabinet papers. The £774 selective licensing fee appeared on the official fees page. The complex history of delays and approvals has been corroborated across multiple independent sources.
Barnet is required under Section 232 of the Housing Act 2004 to maintain a public register of licensed HMOs. The open data portal at open.barnet.gov.uk provides a downloadable CSV file (HMO Register, updated monthly, licensed under UK Open Government Licence OGL v3). As of March 2025, the dataset was titled 'HMO Register 24 March 2026'. The register is also searchable online via publicaccess.barnet.gov.uk by selecting 'Houses in Multiple Occupation' from the licensing dropdown. The register is not intended for marketing purposes; commercial use must comply with GDPR and the Data Protection Act 2018. As of August 2025, 1,330 HMOs were listed in the register.
Supporting sources
All councils in England must operate mandatory HMO licensing. This applies to properties with 5 or more occupants forming 2 or more separate households, regardless of location. If your property meets these criteria, you must apply for a mandatory HMO licence from London Borough of Barnet.
National mandatory HMO licensing applying to all HMOs in Barnet occupied by 5 or more people forming more than one household who share facilities. Applies borough-wide as a statutory requirement under the Housing Act 2004.
Mandatory HMO licensing applies nationally since 2006, extended to all properties with 5+ persons in 2018. Minimum bedroom sizes apply: 4.64m² for children under 10, 6.51m² for persons aged 10+, 10.22m² for two persons aged 10+. Paper applications no longer accepted after 31 October 2024 - all applications must be submitted online. As of August 2025, Barnet had 1,330 HMOs licensed under mandatory and additional licensing combined. Property types covered: Properties meeting the standard test, self-contained flat test, or converted building test HMO definition in Section 254 of the Housing Act 2004, occupied by 5 or more people forming more than one household who share amenities such as a kitchen or bathroom.. Exemptions or exclusions: Purpose-built self-contained flats within blocks of 3 or more self-contained flats. Properties managed by social housing providers or educational institutions..
In addition to licensing, all private landlords in England must comply with these requirements:
Use these routes to move from the London Borough of Barnet summary into the most relevant next action for your property, role, or research task.
Landlord with a standard let→
Start with a postcode if you want a property-specific route before relying on the council summary alone.
Shared occupancy or possible HMO→
Use the HMO checker if occupier numbers, households, or room-sharing could change the answer.
Check if a property has an HMO licence→
Use this if you need to check whether a property holds an HMO licence, or find the council's public HMO register.
Investor, buyer, or conveyancer→
Use the due diligence guide if this council page is part of a purchase, refinance, or pre-letting review.
Letting agent or portfolio manager→
Preview the monitoring route if you need ongoing watchlists and recurring scheme-change visibility.
Understand selective licensing rules→
Read the guide if you want the broader legal background on how selective licensing works alongside this council page.
Understand additional licensing rules→
Read the guide if you want the broader background on how additional HMO licensing works alongside this council page.
Need the local HMO route→
Use the additional licensing page if the real question is whether a smaller shared house needs a local licence here.
Tenant checking landlord compliance→
Use the tenant guide if you rent a property and want to check whether your landlord holds the right licence.
Important disclaimer
This tool provides general information about landlord licensing schemes in England. Results are based on publicly available data and may not reflect recent changes. This is not legal advice. Always verify licensing requirements directly with your local council before making decisions.
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