London Borough of Brent

There are currently four licensing schemes operating in Brent. We will help you choose the right licence for your property:

1. Mandatory HMO licence

You will need a mandatory HMO licence if your property meets the standard test, self-contained flat test or converted building test HMO definition in section 254 of the Housing Act 2004 and is occupied by five or more people.

But what are these tests and what does this mean in practice? It means you need a licence for any house or flat that is occupied by five or more people who are not all related and live in the property as their main home. For example, it includes:

• Shared houses and flats occupied by students and young professionals;
• Properties converted into bedsits with some shared facilities; and
• Properties converted into a mixture of self-contained and non self-contained accommodation.

Prior to 1 October 2018, the mandatory HMO licensing scheme only applied to properties that were three or more storeys in height, but that restriction has now been lifted.

The government have decided to exclude purpose built self-contained flats within a block comprising three or more self-contained flats from the mandatory HMO licensing scheme. While this will be good news for some landlords, it does make the licensing scheme far more complicated.

To find out more, you can read our free guide to mandatory HMO licensing (here).   

2. Additional licence

You will need an additional licence if your property is let as a House in Multiple Occupation that does not fall within the remit of the mandatory HMO licensing scheme. Licensing applies to all HMOs in Brent.

The additional licensing scheme came into force on 1 February 2020 and continues for five years until 31 January 2025. You can find a copy of the scheme designation in the ‘At a Glance’ box on the top right of the page.

The House in Multiple Occupation definition is not straightforward and you need to study it carefully. For example, Brent Council have included ‘section 257 HMOs’ within the additional licensing scheme. These are properties that:

• have been converted into self-contained flats; and
• less than two thirds of the flats are owner occupied; and
• the conversion did not comply with the relevant Building Regulations in force at that time and still does not comply.

So a building containing both owner-occupied and rented flats may need one licence for the whole building. This is a complex area of law and you may need further advice.

To find out more, you can read our free guide to additional licensing (here).

3. Selective Licence

There are two selective licensing schemes.

A selective licensing scheme covering the council wards of Dollis Hill, Willesden Green and Harlesden & Kensal Green started on 1 August 2023. In this area, a selective licence is required for all private rented properties occupied by a single household or two unrelated sharers.

A second selective licensing scheme covering the council wards of Alperton, Barnhill, Brondesbury Park, Cricklewood & Mapesbury, Kenton, Kilburn, Kingsbury, Northwick Park, Preston, Queens Park, Queensbury, Roundwood, Stonebridge, Sudbury, Tokyngton, Welsh Harp, Wembley Central and Wembley Hill started on 1 April 2024. In this area, a selective licence is required for all private rented properties occupied by a single household or two unrelated sharers. 

You can find a copy of both scheme designations in the ‘At a Glance’ box on the top right of the page.

This adds another layer of complexity as most landlords won’t be familiar with the ward boundaries and neither will tenants or agents. There is a postcode search facility on the council’s website.

To find out more, you can read our free guide to selective licensing (here).