Hillingdon Council has approved a boroughwide additional licensing scheme for Houses in Multiple Occupation, giving the west London authority new powers to scrutinise landlords and improve housing standards across the area.
The scheme, agreed by the council’s Cabinet on Thursday 19 February, will require landlords of smaller HMOs – those with fewer than five residents from two or more households – to obtain a licence costing £1,401 for a five-year period. Accredited landlords will receive a 10 percent discount.
Strong public backing for licensing
The decision follows a 10-week public consultation held between 31 October and 11 January, which received more than 1,000 responses. Eighty percent of respondents backed the introduction of additional licensing, highlighting concerns about inadequate housing conditions, anti-social behaviour and inconsistent management standards in some shared properties.
Hillingdon already operates a mandatory licensing scheme for larger HMOs – properties occupied by five or more residents from two or more households sharing bathroom or kitchen facilities. The new additional scheme extends licensing requirements to smaller shared properties that fall outside mandatory rules.
Implementation timeline and Article 4 Direction
The scheme will legally come into force three months after the approval date. Applications will open on Wednesday 20 May, with full compliance required by Sunday 23 August. Landlords operating unlicensed HMOs after this date will face enforcement action.
The additional licensing scheme will work alongside a boroughwide Article 4 Direction introduced in December, which requires planning permission before a family home can be converted into an HMO. Together, these measures give the council significant control over the growth and management of shared housing in the borough.
Council targets poor management
Cllr Steve Tuckwell, Hillingdon Council’s Cabinet Member for Planning, Housing and Growth, said: “Residents have been clear, they are tired of communities being impacted by poorly managed HMOs and that is why we are taking coordinated and comprehensive action to introduce these new measures.”
Tuckwell added: “Boroughwide licensing gives us the power to hold landlords accountable, protect tenants from poor housing conditions, and safeguard our neighbourhoods from anti-social behaviour.”
He emphasised that professional landlords providing decent homes have “nothing to fear” from the measures, but warned: “The message should be heard, we will step in where residents are being let down and will continue to use every tool at our disposal to protect our communities.”
Further details are available on the council’s HMO information page.
Editor’s view
Hillingdon joins a growing list of London boroughs introducing additional HMO licensing. For landlords operating in the area, the August compliance deadline leaves limited time to prepare – particularly those managing properties that have previously fallen outside mandatory rules. The 10 percent discount for accredited landlords offers a modest incentive, though the £1,401 base cost will still affect yields on smaller properties.
Author: Editorial Team – UK landlord & buy-to-let news, policy, and finance
Published: 23 February 2026
Sources: Hillingdon Council
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