Islington selective licensing: seven more wards from 23 November

Islington selective licensing is about to cover far more of the borough. From 23 November 2026, a privately rented home let to one household, one person or two sharers in Barnsbury, Caledonian, Highbury, Junction, Laycock, Mildmay or Tufnell Park needs a council licence. The fee is £850 for up to five years, and the council's own page says landlords in those wards must apply by 23 November.

Which wards does Islington selective licensing cover?

Ten wards in total. Finsbury Park, Hillrise and Tollington have been licensed since the 2024 designation, which is still in force. The seven new wards come under a second designation, made on 21 August 2026. It starts at midnight on 23 November 2026 and ends on 22 November 2031, unless the council revokes it earlier. Online applications opened on 7 September.

The scheme does not apply to shared houses, which need an HMO licence instead: a mandatory licence for five or more people from two or more households, or an additional licence for three or four. Owner-occupied homes and social housing are also outside it.

Ward boundaries do not follow the neighbourhood names used in listings, so a flat described as Highbury or Holloway may or may not be licensable. The council's local area tool gives the ward from the postcode.

How much does an Islington licence cost?

The selective licence fee is £850 for the whole property, paid in two parts: £450 when you apply and £400 if the licence is granted. Three discounts come off the second payment and can be added together. An accredited landlord gets £75 off (LLAS and NRLA both count). A home with an EPC rating of A, B or C gets £50 off. A renewal made with no gap between the old and new licence gets £25 off.

The fee is not refunded, even if you later sell. Licences run for up to five years, but the council can grant a shorter one, for example where a home was let without a licence beforehand.

The application asks for the gas safety certificate, the electrical installation condition report, the EPC, the full tenancy agreement with rent and deposit amounts, floor plans, and the size of every room apart from bathrooms, toilets, hallways and landings. A PAT certificate is needed where the landlord supplies appliances, and a fire alarm certificate where there is a mains-wired system. An incomplete application may be rejected, and you then pay again.

What records does an Islington licence require?

Islington publishes the conditions attached to its current selective licences, dated May 2024. Gas and electrical safety are the parts landlords expect. A good share of the rest is record keeping.

Condition 2.6 is the one most landlords have never seen. It requires an inspection of the property at least every six months, to find problems with its condition and management and to check that common parts and outside areas are clear of rubbish. The inspection must be written down, with the name of the person who carried it out, the date and time, the issues found and the action taken.

The other records are smaller, but they add up. References must be taken before a tenancy starts and kept for as long as the licence lasts. Rent must be receipted unless the tenant pays by standing order or direct debit. New occupiers get written information about bins and recycling within seven days of moving in. A current gas safety certificate goes to the council every year.

Under condition 7.1, any of these records must reach the council within 28 days of a written request. A floor plan showing every room in square metres is due within the same 28 days if the council asks for it.

Over a five-year licence that is at least ten inspections, each with its own written record. A visit nobody wrote down is very hard to prove two years later.

What happens if you let without a licence?

Letting a licensable home without a licence is an offence under section 95(1) of the Housing Act 2004, with an unlimited fine on conviction. The council can instead issue a financial penalty of up to £40,000. Breaking a licence condition is a separate offence with the same penalties, so a licence alone does not protect a landlord whose records are missing. Tenants can also apply for a rent repayment order, and since 1 May 2026 the maximum is two years' rent.

A routine for each Islington property

1. Check the ward by postcode, then note the licence number and expiry date once it is granted.
2. Gather the certificates, the tenancy agreement and a floor plan with room sizes before starting the application.
3. Put an inspection in the diary every six months and keep the written record with the licence papers.
4. Keep references, rent records and the waste information sent to each new tenant.
5. Register the property on the government's new rental property database as well. It is separate from the council licence, and London properties must be registered by 14 October 2027.

Our mid-term inspection gives you the written record condition 2.6 asks for: a dated report, every room photographed and timestamped, and anything needing attention listed first. The action you then take is yours to add. It starts at £80 for a studio to 2 bedroom home, in every Islington ward. See our inventory clerk service in Islington, or send the details and a time is agreed with you.

Related: Brent selective licensing, Barnet selective licensing and the mid-term inspection.

Sources: Islington Council, check what type of property licence you need; Islington designation of an area for selective licensing 2026; Islington Council, how to apply for a property licence; Islington selective licence conditions, May 2024; Renters' Rights Act: an overview for landlords on GOV.UK. This is general information, not legal advice. Licensing is the landlord's responsibility and the council's own pages are the final word.