London
HMO licensing in Barnet
London Borough of Barnet requires a mandatory licence for HMOs occupied by 5 or more people from 2 or more households. It also runs additional licensing, which brings smaller HMOs (typically 3 or 4 people) into licensing. The published licence fee starts at £1,872 (£1,677 to renew).
Mandatory licence
5+ people, 2+ households
National scheme
Additional / selective
Additional
Council-designated schemes
Licence fee
From £1,872
Renewal £1,677
Decision time
About 12 weeks
The council's stated aim
Licensing schemes in Barnet
Barnet consulted from 15 June to 15 September 2026 on a new selective licensing scheme for private rented homes in 10 wards (Burnt Oak, Childs Hill, Colindale North, Colindale South, Cricklewood, Finchley Church End, Friern Barnet, Golders Green, Hendon and West Hendon); no designation has been made yet and the council's page still describes the consultation as current. Separately, Barnet's borough-wide additional HMO licensing (3-4 occupants) began on 27 October 2022 and runs to 26 October 2027.
- Announced
- 15 June 2026
- Consultation closes
- 15 September 2026
Verified 24 September 2026
Licence fees
The published fee for a new HMO licence is £1,872, and £1,677 to renew. Fees can depend on the number of occupants or lettings, and they are reviewed each year.
Fee for a mandatory or additional HMO licence up to 5 units of accommodation, for a 5-year term: total £1,872.00, split into Fee 1 (£1,061, payable with the application) and Fee 2 (£811, payable after the initial inspection, before the licence is granted). A shorter 1-year licence costs £1,224 total (Fee 1 £1,061 + Fee 2 £162). Renewal (5-year) totals £1,677 (Fee 1 £866 + Fee 2 £811); 1-year renewal totals £1,028. Each extra unit of accommodation above 5 costs an additional £37. A 10% discount off Fee 1 applies for accredited landlords (LLAS, NLA, RLA, ARLA, NALS, RICS, UKALA) and registered charities, if evidence is provided at application. An optional Fast-Track service costs an extra £200.
Check the current fee on the council website (barnet.gov.uk) before you apply.
Additional and selective licence fees
Fees for council-designated schemes are set separately from the mandatory HMO fee. Figures are the standard full-rate fee for a new licence, before any discounts.
Additional licence
£1,872
Renewal £1,677
HMO licence (the same fee applies to mandatory and additional licences) up to 5 units of accommodation, 5-year licence, paid in two stages: Fee 1 £1,061 + Fee 2 £811
10% off Fee 1 for accredited landlords (LLAS, NLA, RLA, ARLA, NALS, RICS, UKALA) and charities, with evidence at application. 1-year licence total £1,224 (Fee 1 £1,061 + Fee 2 £162). Renewal totals £1,677 for 5 years or £1,028 for 1 year. £37 per extra unit of accommodation over 5. Optional Fast-Track service £200 extra. Fees apply from 1 January 2026.
Scheme: From 27 October 2022
Checked 2 October 2026 against barnet.gov.uk
Minimum room sizes
| Single bedroom, 2+ room letting (1 person over 10) | 6.51 m² minimum sleeping-room floor area within a 13 m² combined letting (4.5 m² of which may be the kitchen), per Barnet's adopted 'Standards for Houses in Multiple Occupation' (February 2022). |
|---|---|
| Double bedroom, 2+ room letting (2 persons over 10) | 10.22 m² minimum sleeping-room floor area within a 17 m² combined letting (4.5 m² of which may be the kitchen). |
| One-room letting / bedsit (1 person) | 10 m² minimum where the kitchen is a separate room, or 13 m² where the kitchen is included in the room. |
| One-room letting / bedsit (2 persons) | 14 m² minimum where the kitchen is a separate room, or 17 m² where the kitchen is included in the room. |
| Child under 10 | 4.64 m² minimum; any room under 4.64 m² must never be used as sleeping accommodation. |
| General | Rooms must have a minimum ceiling height of 1.9 m over at least 75% of the floor area; any area below 1.5 m ceiling height is excluded from the calculation entirely. Half the area of a bay window may be included. |
National minimums for licensed HMOs are 6.51 m² for one adult and 10.22 m² for two adults; councils can apply higher local standards.
Fire safety requirements
- Licensed HMOs must meet Barnet's HMO Standards 2022, assessed against the Housing Health and Safety Rating System (HHSRS) and HMO Management Regulations at inspection.
- A current fire risk assessment under the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 is required, alongside a working interlinked smoke alarm system appropriate to the number of storeys.
- Mandatory licence conditions apply automatically, plus discretionary conditions the council adds as standard; property-specific conditions may also be imposed after inspection.
- Landlords have up to 18 months to bring a property into compliance with a breached condition if the council serves notice of non-compliance at the time the licence is granted.
Kitchen, bathroom and amenity standards
- Number of occupiers and households permitted must relate to the amenities provided and the size/layout of rooms, as assessed by the council at licence approval.
- An EICR (5-yearly) and annual gas safety certificate (where gas is supplied) must be kept up to date and submitted to the council when due.
- The licence sets a room-by-room occupancy schedule detailing how many people (and which households) may occupy each room.
Documents you will need
- Gas safety certificate (CP12) — Annual check for every gas appliance where gas is supplied.
- EICR — Electrical Installation Condition Report dated within the last 5 years.
- EPC — Valid Energy Performance Certificate for the property.
- Fully completed application form and fit-and-proper declaration — Includes a signed declaration where the licence holder is different from the applicant; Fee 1 must accompany the application for it to be valid.
Sources
Compiled from the council’s own published pages and documents; data reviewed September 2026. Rules and fees change, so always confirm with London Borough of Barnet before applying. This is general information, not legal advice.