Council licensing · London

Licensing in Hillingdon

Hillingdon has additional HMO licensing across the whole council area.

Researched 14 October 2026 · Independently checked 14 October 2026

Check a specific address in Hillingdon

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

Licensing, ward by ward

Tap a ward, or focus it with your keyboard, to see its name and recorded coverage.

Additional HMO licensing area21

Additional HMO licensing also covers the whole council area.

Current ONS ward boundaries. Exemptions apply. Use the postcode check and scheme details for your property.

Selective licensing: None
Additional HMO licensing: Yes, whole council area
Article 4 on house shares: Yes
Consultation: None open

Licensing schemes

Additional HMO licence
In force
London Borough of Hillingdon Designation of an Area for Additional Licensing of Houses in Multiple Occupation 2026
Area
Entire area of the London Borough of Hillingdon as delineated in red on the map in Annex A.
Runs
24 August 2026 to 23 August 2031
Fee
£1,401 for 5 years
Council fee table for 1 April 2026 to 31 March 2027: additional HMO licence total £1,401. 10% discount for accredited landlords or managing agents. The fee table gives only the total; the initial/final instalment split is shown only for mandatory licences.
Who needs one
HMOs as defined by section 254 occupied by 3 or more persons comprising 2 or more households that are not subject to mandatory licensing. The council describes these as shared houses, flats and bedsits with fewer than five residents from two or more households sharing kitchens and/or bathrooms.
Exemptions
Mandatory HMOs; HMOs under Interim/Final Management Orders; s62 temporary exemptions; Schedule 14 buildings; section 257 converted buildings (pre-1991 Building Regulations conversions with less than two-thirds owner-occupied, of 3+ storeys and 3+ flats in the same ownership or control) are excluded by para 7(e).
Notes
NEW scheme. Cabinet approved it on 19 February 2026 after a 10-week consultation (31 October 2025 to 11 January 2026; over 1,000 responses, 80% support). The designation was made 19 February 2026 and in force 24 August 2026. Applications opened 20 May 2026 and had to be submitted by 23 August 2026; the council says non-applicant or non-compliant HMOs may face enforcement from 24 August 2026. The public notice calls it the 'London Borough of Hillingdon Additional Licensing of Houses in Multiple Occupation Scheme 2026' and cites the General Approval 2024; the designation document cites the 2015 General Approval. The application process is the same as for mandatory HMOs. It works alongside a borough-wide Article 4 Direction in force since 11 December 2025. Additional licensing conditions are Appendix 2 to the 19 February 2026 Cabinet report. Note: www.hillingdon.gov.uk/hmo redirects to pre.hillingdon.gov.uk.
Apply on the council site Designation or map
Sources
Mandatory HMO licence
In force
Mandatory HMO licensing (Housing Act 2004 Part 2)
Area
National scheme, applies across the borough.
Fee
£1,656 for 5 years
New or renewal (1 April 2026 to 31 March 2027): initial payment £1,104 on application + final payment £552 if successful = £1,656.
Who needs one
Properties with 5 or more unrelated people forming 2 or more separate households.
Notes
Council aims to process HMO applications within 12 weeks. Renewals must be submitted before the current licence expires.
Apply on the council site
Sources

Article 4 for house shares

Hillingdon has an Article 4 direction on houses in multiple occupation. Turning a family home into a shared house may need planning permission.

Area: The whole council area
Takes effect: 11 December 2025

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.

Private Sector Housing Enforcement Policy 2023 (review date March 2026), maximum £30,000 under the Housing and Planning Act 2016. Appendix 1 charging schedule, set by number of previous convictions or penalties for the same type of offence in the previous four years: failure to obtain an HMO licence (s72(1)) or a selective licence (s95(1)) is £10,000 for a 1st offence and £30,000 for a 2nd or subsequent offence. Breach of licence conditions (s72(2)/(3), s95(2)) is £5,000 per breach. £2,500 premiums apply for listed offence types (high culpability; 10+ unit portfolio; multiple Category 1 or high Category 2 hazards; vulnerable occupant or significant harm). Any single penalty is capped at £30,000. Rent repayment orders may be sought in addition. No policy updated for the Renters' Rights Act 2025 was found.

Hillingdon's civil penalty policy

Consultations

Proposed borough-wide HMO additional licensing schemeApproved
Closed 11 January 2026

Not yet confirmed

These points were unresolved when we researched Hillingdon on 14 October 2026. Check them with the council before you rely on them.

Not yet confirmed
No selective licensing scheme or proposal was found for Hillingdon.
Not yet confirmed
The designation document cites the 2015 General Approval while the public notice for the same designation cites the General Approval 2024.
Not yet confirmed
Whether the £1,401 additional licence fee is paid in two instalments like the mandatory fee (the fee table gives only a total).
Not yet confirmed
Additional licence conditions (Appendix 2 of the 19 February 2026 Cabinet report) were not located as a standalone published document.
Not yet confirmed
The civil penalty policy (2023) has passed its March 2026 review date and still uses the £30,000 maximum. No Renters' Rights Act update was found.
Not yet confirmed
Article 4: the immediate Direction was made 10 December 2025, in force 11 December 2025, and confirmed under seal on 21 May 2026. It replaced the earlier small-HMO Article 4 covering the former Brunel and Uxbridge South wards.

Landlord register

Licensing is separate from the national landlord register. Hillingdon is in London, where the planned registration window runs from 15 July 2027 to 14 October 2027. The regulations are still in draft. Register dates, fee and documents