Licensing in Islington

• Selective licence

  In force

  London Borough of Islington Designation of an Area for Selective Licensing 2024

  Area

  Finsbury Park, Tollington and Hillrise wards.

  3 wards, as named in the designation (2022 wards (current)):

  • Finsbury Park
  • Tollington
  • Hillrise

  Runs

  20 May 2024 to 19 May 2029

  Fee

  £850 for 5 years

  Part A £450 on application + Part B £400 if a draft licence is issued = £850 per property. Part B discounts: £75 accredited landlord; £50 EPC A-C; £25 renewal with no gap. Discounts are cumulative. Fees PDF served with Last-Modified 29 January 2026; the web page shows no date.

  Who needs one

  All privately rented properties occupied by a single person, two people sharing (regardless of relationship), or any number of persons forming a single household (family).

  Exemptions

  HMOs (mandatory or additional), owner-occupied properties and social rented properties (local authority or housing association owned or managed).

  Notes

  Designated 19 February 2024 under the 2015 General Approval. Replaced the 2020 selective scheme (former Finsbury Park ward), which was revoked on 20 May 2024. The 2026 designation confirms this scheme is still in force alongside the new one. The council's property licensing page says 'If you need a selective property licence for Finsbury Park, Mildmay and Tollington ... you can apply now', which conflicts with the designation (Hillrise, not Mildmay).

  Apply on the council siteLicence conditionsDesignation or map

  Sources

  • islington.gov.uk: 2024 public notice selective licensing (PDF)
  • islington.gov.uk: property licensing
  • islington.gov.uk: how to apply for a property licence in islington
  • islington.gov.uk: property licensing fees (PDF)
  • islington.gov.uk: revocation of 2020 selective licensing scheme (PDF)

• Additional HMO licence

  In forceMedium confidence

  London Borough of Islington Designation of an Area for Additional Licensing of Houses in Multiple Occupation 2025

  Area

  The entire district of the London Borough of Islington (map in Appendix A of the designation).

  Runs

  1 February 2026 to 31 January 2031

  Fee

  £900 for 5 years

  Mandatory and additional HMOs: Part A £500 + Part B £400 plus £100 per letting = £900 plus £100 per letting (letting fee capped at 21 lettings). Section 257 HMO: £800 per building (Part A £450 + Part B £350) per the fees PDF, but the web page says £900 for the whole building. Part B discounts: £75 accredited, £50 EPC A-C, £25 renewal. standard_gbp is the fixed element only.

  Who needs one

  HMOs occupied by three or four persons in two or more households that meet the standard test, the self-contained flat test (including all purpose-built flats) or the converted building test, or are subject to an HMO declaration. Also covers section 257 converted-building HMOs where all units are privately rented and in the same ownership, including mixed-use buildings and those above non-residential premises.

  Exemptions

  Schedule 14 buildings; HMOs under Interim/Final Management Orders; s62 temporary exemptions; mandatory HMOs; section 257 converted buildings of no more than two flats.

  Notes

  Designation made 30 October 2025 by the Corporate Director for Homes and Neighbourhoods under delegated power, after Executive agreement, citing the General Approval 2024. In force from 12.00am on 1 February 2026 until 11.59pm on 31 January 2031. Online applications opened 1 November 2025. The designation text was verified from the London Landlord Accreditation Scheme's republication (published 11 November 2025), not from a council-hosted copy. Islington's democracy site returned a bot-check challenge and could not be read. The council's licensing page describes the additional scheme consistently (3 or 4 unrelated people in 2+ households, s257 buildings in single ownership, flats in purpose-built blocks). Section 257 conditions (Feb 2026): https://www.islington.gov.uk/~/media/sharepoint-lists/public-records/environmentalprotection/information/adviceandinformation/20252026/s257-conditions-feb-2026.pdf. Renews the 2020 borough-wide designation without a gap.

  Apply on the council siteLicence conditions

  Sources

  • londonlandlords.org.uk: The London Borough of Islington Designation of an Area for Additional Licensing of Houses in Multiple Occupation 2025
  • islington.gov.uk: property licensing
  • islington.gov.uk: how to apply for a property licence in islington
  • islington.gov.uk: property licensing fees (PDF)

• Mandatory HMO licence

  In force

  Mandatory HMO licensing (Housing Act 2004 Part 2)

  Area

  National scheme, applies across the borough.

  Fee

  £900 for 5 years

  £900 plus £100 per letting (Part A £500; Part B £400 + £100 per letting, letting fee capped at 21). Large student accommodation developments: £900 plus £35 per letting. Part B discounts as for other schemes. standard_gbp is the fixed element only.

  Who needs one

  Houses or flats with 5 or more unrelated people in 2 or more households sharing a kitchen, bathroom or toilet, including buildings of bedsits or non-self-contained flats.

  Notes

  A shorter licence may be issued where a property operated unlicensed beforehand.

  Apply on the council siteLicence conditions

  Sources

  • islington.gov.uk: property licensing
  • islington.gov.uk: property licensing fees (PDF)

• Selective licence

  Approved, not started

  London Borough of Islington Designation of an Area for Selective Licensing 2026

  Area

  Seven wards indicated on the map in Appendix A of the designation. Together with the 2024 designation, selective licensing will cover 10 of Islington's 17 wards.

  7 wards, as named in the designation (2022 wards (current)):

  • Barnsbury
  • Caledonian
  • Tufnell Park
  • Mildmay
  • Highbury
  • Junction
  • Laycock

  Runs

  23 November 2026 to 22 November 2031

  Fee

  £850 for 5 years

  Part A £450 + Part B £400 = £850 per property, with the same Part B discounts (£75 accredited, £50 EPC A-C, £25 renewal). Applications opened 7 September 2026.

  Who needs one

  All private rented properties occupied by a single person, two people sharing (regardless of relationship), or any number of persons forming a single household (family).

  Exemptions

  HMOs (mandatory or additional), owner-occupied properties and social rented properties.

  Notes

  Designation made 21 August 2026 by the Director of Environment and Public Safety under delegated power, after Executive agreement, under the General Approval 2024. In force from 12.00am on 23 November 2026 until 11.59pm on 22 November 2031. The designation says the financial penalty 'currently can be up to £40,000'. The conditions_url shown is the May 2024 selective conditions; no 2026-specific selective conditions document was found.

  Apply on the council siteLicence conditionsDesignation or map

  Sources

  • islington.gov.uk: islington designation of an area for selective licensing 2026 (PDF)
  • islington.gov.uk: property licensing

• Additional HMO licence

  Ended

  London Borough of Islington Designation of an Area for Additional Licensing of Houses in Multiple Occupation 2020

  Area

  Entire London Borough of Islington.

  Runs

  1 February 2021 to 31 January 2026

  Fee

  Not yet confirmed

  Scheme ended; replaced by the 2025 designation.

  Who needs one

  All s254 HMOs occupied by three or more persons not of the same household (including flats in purpose-built blocks of any height), and s257 HMOs (pre-1991 Building Regulations conversions where all flats are privately rented and under single freehold ownership), other than mandatory HMOs.

  Exemptions

  Mandatory HMOs; HMOs registered and managed under an approved s233 code of practice.

  Notes

  Made 22 October 2020. The designation says it 'shall cease to have effect on 1 February 2026', the same day the 2025 designation came into force at 12.00am, so end_date is 31 January 2026, its last day in force.

  Designation or map

  Sources

  • islington.gov.uk: 20201207boroughwidehmodesignation20201 (PDF)

We found no Article 4 direction on house shares in Islington.

Council source

No consultation was recorded when we researched Islington.

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

• Not yet confirmed

  Civil penalty policy (the 'Enforcement and Prosecution Policy and Fixed Penalty Charging policy') was not found. Islington's democracy site (islington.moderngov.co.uk) returned a bot-check challenge, so Executive reports could not be read. The independent check (2026-10-14) found no Islington-hosted policy either.

• Not yet confirmed

  The 23 October 2025 Executive decision approving the additional licensing renewal and selective expansion could not be read. Scheme facts come from the designation texts and council web pages. It could not be independently re-checked on 2026-10-14 either.

• Not yet confirmed

  The additional 2025 designation text was verified only via the London Landlord Accreditation Scheme's republication; a council-hosted copy was not found on the property licensing page.

• Not yet confirmed

  The property licensing page refers to 'Finsbury Park, Mildmay and Tollington' for current selective applications, but the 2024 designation covers Finsbury Park, Tollington and Hillrise (Mildmay joins from 23 November 2026).

• Not yet confirmed

  Section 257 HMO fee: the web page says £900 for the whole building; the fees PDF says £800 per building (Part A £450 + Part B £350).

• Not yet confirmed

  No selective conditions document specific to the 2026 designation was found; the page lists 'Selective Licence Condition May 2024'.

• Not yet confirmed

  Article 4: the council's HMO planning page says there are 'currently no planning restrictions on using a family home as an HMO for less than seven people'. No Islington C3 to C4 Article 4 entry was found on planning.data.gov.uk.

Licensing is separate from the national landlord register. Islington 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