HMO licensing in Hackney: the local picture
Hackney's shared rental homes include terraced houses in Clapton and subdivided properties near London Fields. Before preparing supporting documents, establish the number of occupiers, their households and the facilities they share. The council's additional HMO scheme means smaller shared homes can require licensing as well as those within national mandatory licensing. Peachtree Maintenance helps assemble inspection records and organise identified repairs, with photographs linked to the property. Check the current council requirements and any existing licence conditions before changing room use or increasing occupation.
What the rules say
In England a mandatory licence is needed where five or more people from two or more households share facilities such as a kitchen or bathroom. Councils can also run additional licensing for smaller HMOs and selective licensing for other private lets.
Applications usually need current gas, electrical and fire safety documents, floor plans and management details. Licences commonly run for up to five years and carry conditions. We help gather the evidence and keep it current. We are not a law firm.
Hackney licensing
Hackney's selective licensing scheme covers qualifying private lets occupied by a single household, a single tenant or two sharers in 17 named wards, including Dalston, Clissold, Homerton and Stoke Newington. The council's borough-wide additional HMO scheme covers shared homes occupied by three or four people from two or more households, subject to exemptions.
Source: Hackney Council, last checked 2026-10-20.
Districts we visit for hmo licensing
Dalston, Stoke Newington, Clapton, Homerton, Hackney Central, Hackney Wick, London Fields, Shoreditch, Stamford Hill, De Beauvoir Town, covering postcode districts E5, E8, E9, N1, N4, N16, EC2A.