Council licensing in East of England

Licensing in Harlow

Harlow has no selective or additional licensing scheme in force.

Checked 14 Oct 2026

Check an address in Harlow

We'll match the postcode to its ward and the schemes below.

Licensing, ward by ward

Select a ward to see its name and licensing.

National rules only11

Current ward boundaries from ONS. Some homes are exempt, so check your postcode and the scheme details below.

Selective licensing: None
Additional HMO licensing: No
Article 4 on house shares: Yes
Consultation: None open

Licensing schemes

Mandatory HMO licence
In force
Mandatory HMO licensing (national scheme, Harlow fees)
Area
The whole of Harlow (national scheme).
Fee
£850 for 1 years
From the council's HMO licence page and its Fees and Charges 2026/27 schedule (with effect from 1 April 2026). New licence £850 (reduced £600 with evidence of NRLA membership), covering up to 6 bedrooms, plus £80 for each bedroom over 6. Annual renewal £350 (reduced £225). Re-inspection when licence conditions are not met £260 (reduced £210). Other charges: incomplete application £50; avoiding an application until found by a council investigation £380; reminder letter £78; final reminder £50; resuming after a final reminder £70; missed inspection £180; licence holder change £160; dishonoured cheque £60. The fees schedule lists these under the heading 'Large HMO Additional Licensing Scheme', although the council's licence page calls them mandatory licence fees and no additional licensing designation was found (see notes).
Who needs one
Properties rented to five or more people who form more than one household, where some or all tenants share a toilet, bathroom or kitchen.
Apply on the council's website
How we checked this
This is the national scheme. Harlow publishes its own pages and fees. Harlow grants HMO licences for one year: the licence page says 'If we grant your licence, it will be valid for one year', and the renewal page says to renew at least one month before expiry. Applications are made on a PDF form with a fire risk assessment, gas safety certificate (under 12 months old), EICR (under 5 years), fire alarm and emergency lighting test certificates and a sketch plan, sent to env.health@harlow.gov.uk. Full planning permission for HMO use is required before applying, because of the town-wide HMO Article 4 direction, and the property must not be subject to a covenant restricting it to a single-family dwelling. The council may attach conditions and re-inspect. Its enforcement policy says that where a licensable HMO is found operating without a licence, formal proceedings will be immediately considered, 'likely to be the issue of a civil penalty notice'. The Fees and Charges 2025/26 and 2026/27 schedules head the HMO fees 'Large HMO Additional Licensing Scheme' and 'Additional charges small and large HMOs - Additional Licensing Scheme', but the council's Private Sector Housing Enforcement Policy (last updated 14 July 2023) says selective and additional licensing schemes 'are not currently considered appropriate to be adopted within Harlow, but this matter will be kept under review'. Harlow previously licensed small HMOs under an additional licensing scheme: its HMO licence page in December 2019 said 'All HMOs in Harlow need either a mandatory or additional licence' (small HMO additional licence £440), but by September 2020 it described mandatory licensing only, so the fee-schedule heading appears to be a leftover from that scheme.
Sources

Article 4 for house shares

Harlow has an Article 4 direction on HMOs (houses in multiple occupation, or shared houses). Turning a family home into a shared house may need planning permission.

Area: The whole council area
Takes effect: 12 Apr 2021

Council source

Civil penalty policy

The council's policy sets how it decides the size of a fine. The version we found has not been updated for the Renters' Rights Act.

Harlow's standalone 'Civil penalties policy' (PDF on the council website, file dated June 2025), referred to by its Private Sector Housing Enforcement Policy (last updated 14 July 2023, next review 13 March 2029). It allows civil penalties of up to £30,000 per offence and sets starting levels from £2,500 (mild) to £27,500 (very severe). Failing to license an HMO (s.72(1)) is 'very serious' with a £17,500 starting level: £12,500 for a landlord with only one HMO and no more than one other dwelling, £17,500 for three to five dwellings and/or two HMOs, and £22,500 for six or more dwellings, three or more HMOs or demonstrated letting experience. The enforcement policy says that where a licensable HMO is found operating without a licence, formal proceedings will be immediately considered, most likely a civil penalty notice. The policy does not mention the Renters' Rights Act 2025 or its £40,000 maximum.

Harlow's civil penalty policy

Consultations

We found no consultations when we researched Harlow.

Not yet confirmed

We could not settle these points when we researched Harlow on 14 October 2026. Check them with the council before you rely on them.

Not yet confirmed
The standalone civil penalties policy (June 2025) predates the Renters' Rights Act 2025 and still quotes a £30,000 maximum; no updated policy was found. The committee site (harlow.moderngov.co.uk) returned a Cloudflare challenge, so any 2025 or 2026 Cabinet item on civil penalties could not be read.
Not yet confirmed
The licence page does not list statutory exemptions or link a licence conditions document.

Landlord register

The national landlord register is separate from licensing. Harlow is in East of England, where registration is planned from 15 January 2027 to 14 April 2027. The regulations are still in draft. Read about the register