Landlord Licensing in Barking and Dagenham

Reviewed by Bradley Askew, Solicitor (non-practising), England & Wales. Reviewed 3 August 2026.

The London Borough of Barking and Dagenham runs borough-wide selective licensing and additional HMO licensing schemes side by side, both launched in early 2025. This guide sets out what's currently designated, what it costs, and what you risk by letting unlicensed — sourced directly from Barking and Dagenham's own published pages, not secondary summaries, because these schemes change frequently.

Current schemes at a glance

Scheme	Coverage	Dates	Fee
Selective licensing	Across three designated areas covering most of the borough.	6 April 2025 – 5 April 2030	£900 (£470 + £430)
Additional HMO licensing	Borough-wide — HMOs occupied by 3 or more people from 2 or more households that fall outside mandatory HMO licensing.	From 9 January 2025	contact council for base fee

Schemes change — wards get added, fees rise annually, and designations lapse or get renewed. Always check the council's own page (linked below) for the current position before applying or relying on a fee figure.

Scheme detail

Selective licensing

Coverage. Across three designated areas covering most of the borough. Named wards include (Area 1) Alibon, Barking Riverside, Beam, Becontree, Chadwell Heath, Eastbury, Goresbrook, Heath, Longbridge, Mayesbrook, Parsloes, Thames View, Valence, Village and Whalebone, and (Area 2) Abbey, Gascoigne, Northbury and Eastbrook & Rush Green. Check the council's own property-licensing portal to confirm a specific address.

Dates. In force from 6 April 2025. Runs until 5 April 2030.

Fee. Part A £470 + Part B £430; a 50% discount on Part B is available for qualifying landlords who held a licence under the borough's previous scheme.

• The council applies a "fit and proper person" test and assesses suitability for occupation and management arrangements
• Discounts are void if enforcement action is pending against the property or landlord

Apply for this licence →

Additional HMO licensing

Coverage. Borough-wide — HMOs occupied by 3 or more people from 2 or more households that fall outside mandatory HMO licensing.

Dates. In force from 9 January 2025. A 5-year designation, running to around January 2030.

Fee. Discounts of £200 (Silver Compliance) or £250 (Gold Compliance) are available against the standard fee — confirm the current base fee directly with the council before applying.

• A pre-licensing inspection is required before a licence is granted

Apply for this licence →

What happens if you let unlicensed

Operating a licensable property without the required licence is a criminal offence. For an HMO, that's section 72 of the Housing Act 2004; for a selective-licensing property, it's section 95. Both carry an unlimited fine on conviction, or a civil penalty of up to £40,000 as an alternative to prosecution, under section 249A of the Housing Act 2004 (raised from £30,000 with effect from 1 May 2026).

On top of a civil penalty, a tenant or the local authority can apply to the First-tier Tribunal for a rent repayment order — for offences committed on or after 1 May 2026, this can require repayment of up to 24 months' rent, under the Housing and Planning Act 2016 (Part 2, Chapter 4) as amended by the Renters' Rights Act 2025. A civil penalty and a rent repayment order can both be awarded for the same unlicensed period, so the combined exposure for a persistently unlicensed property can run well into six figures. See our full rent repayment orders guide for how the tribunal process works and how to defend against an application.

An unlicensed HMO or selective-licensing property can also affect a landlord's enforcement position, and the council can apply for a management order over a persistently unlicensed property, taking day-to-day control away from the landlord.

Common mistakes

• Assuming a licence from a different scheme covers you. Mandatory HMO licensing, additional HMO licensing and selective licensing are three separate legal regimes — a property can need more than one, or a licence under one scheme doesn't excuse a requirement under another.
• Letting a licence lapse. Renewal isn't automatic; operating on an expired licence is treated the same as never having had one.
• Assuming a designation still applies without checking. These schemes are frequently renewed, expanded, or allowed to lapse — always check the council's current page rather than relying on older news coverage or a previous tenancy's paperwork.
• Missing a scheme because a property is just outside the mandatory HMO threshold. Additional and selective licensing exist precisely to bring smaller HMOs and ordinary lettings into scope.

Get help

• Barking and Dagenham's own private housing or licensing team — for an address-specific check, an application, or to confirm a scheme's current status: Barking and Dagenham — Property licensing, Barking and Dagenham — Selective licensing designation notice (PDF), Barking and Dagenham — Additional licensing of houses (PDF).
• GOV.UK — HMO licence guidance and selective licensing guidance for local authorities for the primary legal framework.

This is legal information, not legal advice. It explains the position for Barking and Dagenham as at 3 August 2026 in general terms and does not take account of your specific circumstances; reading it does not create a solicitor–client relationship. Tenancy Agreement Service is not a law firm and is not regulated by the Solicitors Regulation Authority. Licensing schemes change frequently — always confirm current designation, dates and fees directly with the council before applying. If you're facing a licensing dispute, a civil penalty notice, or a rent repayment order application, get advice from a regulated solicitor before responding.