Council licensing in East of England

Licensing in Hertsmere

Hertsmere has no selective or additional licensing scheme in force.

Checked 14 Oct 2026

Check an address in Hertsmere

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 only16

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, Hertsmere fees)
Area
The whole of Hertsmere borough (national scheme).
Fee
£1,306 for 5 years
New and renewal applications: £1,306 for up to five people, plus £105 for each additional person (the application form says each additional person or letting over five). A single £55 discount per application for an Approved Landlord or a member of a recognised landlords' association. Variation (changes to managing agent, numbers and similar) £366. The council says its fee is not split into an application part and a 'part 2' enforcement part. The HMO page does not date the fees; the application form linked from it was saved in April 2026.
Who needs one
Houses, flats or parts of buildings of any size (including habitable basements and attics, and accommodation over commercial premises) occupied by five or more people in two or more households.
Apply on the council's website
How we checked this
This is the national scheme. Hertsmere publishes its own page and fees. The application form says 'A licence will be valid for 5 years from the date of issue, unless revoked'. The HMO page links a Word application form and also says to apply through GOV.UK; contact the Private Sector Housing Officer on 020 8207 2277. Target processing time is six weeks from a valid application and inspection; tacit consent does not apply. The HMO page gives notice that revised HMO Amenity Standards (including new minimum room sizes) take effect on 25 November 2026 and may affect applications and variations received from that date; the current standards are the Amenities Standards 2018. Properties with more than six occupants may need planning permission, and from 6 May 2027 an Article 4 direction requires planning permission for small HMOs in the Potters Bar wards.
Sources

Article 4 for house shares

Hertsmere 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: Potters Bar Parkfield, Potters Bar Oakmere, Potters Bar Furzefield, and Bentley Heath & The Royds wards; confirmed in August 2026 but not in force until 6 May 2027
Takes effect: 6 May 2027

Council source

Civil penalty policy

The council's policy sets how it decides the size of a fine. The version we found has been updated for the Renters' Rights Act.

Hertsmere Borough Council 'Housing Enforcement and Licensing Policy', June 2026. It refers to the Renters' Rights Act 2025 and its implementation guidance and says civil penalties were up to £30,000 per offence under the Housing Act 2004 and the Renters' Rights Act 2025 increased the maximum to £40,000 for certain offences. Civil penalties can be used for offences under s.72 (HMO licensing) and s.95 (selective licensing) among others. Penalties are set by a scored matrix (deterrence, removal of financial benefit, severity, harm to tenants, culpability and history) with a total score mapped to a penalty: 1-5 £500, 6-10 £750, 11-20 £1,000, 21-30 £2,500, 31-40 £3,500, 41-55 £5,000, 56-65 £10,000, 66-75 £15,000, 76-85 £20,000, 86-95 £35,000, 96-100 £40,000. No specific starting point for unlicensed letting is given. A Notice of Intent allows 28 days for representations before a Final Notice.

Hertsmere's civil penalty policy

Consultations

Proposed Amenity Standards for Houses in Multiple Occupation (2026)Approved
Closed 31 Aug 2026
The Hertsmere Borough Council (Houses in Multiple Occupation) (Potters Bar) Article 4 Direction 2026Approved
Closed 17 Jun 2026

Not yet confirmed

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

Not yet confirmed
No selective or additional licensing scheme, proposal or consultation was found. The council's HMO page and June 2026 enforcement policy describe mandatory HMO licensing only; an April 2021 FOI response (HBC_FOI_20210190) said 'This Council does not have selective licensing'. The council's committee site (democracy.hertsmere.gov.uk) could not be reached, so committee papers were not searched.
Not yet confirmed
The amenity standards consultation closed on 31 August 2026 and the HMO page says revised standards take effect on 25 November 2026, but the final adopted document had not been published on 14 October 2026 ('will be published on this website shortly'). Status 'approved' is inferred from that notice.
Not yet confirmed
The HMO page does not list exemptions or link a licence conditions document.

Landlord register

The national landlord register is separate from licensing. Hertsmere 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