Islington Landlords, Your 23 November Deadline Is Closer Than You Think
Selective licensing is spreading to seven more Islington wards from 23 November 2026, and plenty of landlords haven't heard a thing. Here's which streets are affected, what it costs and how to get sorted in good time.
If you let a home in Islington, from 23 November 2026, selective licensing will cover ten of the borough's seventeen wards, up from three.
That means thousands of ordinary rental homes, the kind let to a couple, a single family or one tenant, will need a council licence for the very first time.
Changes like this unfortunately rarely make the headlines. A statutory notice in the local paper and an update on the council website is usually about as loud as it gets. Even the council's own licensing page currently lists only six of the seven new wards, leaving Mildmay off entirely. So if this is news to you, you're far from alone, and there's still time to get it sorted calmly.
Which wards are affected?
Islington Council made the new designation on 21 August 2026. It adds seven wards:
- Barnsbury
- Caledonian
- Highbury
- Junction
- Laycock
- Mildmay
- Tufnell Park
These sit alongside Finsbury Park, Hillrise and Tollington, which have been covered by the existing scheme since May 2024. Canonbury and Clerkenwell were included in early proposals but were dropped from the final scheme, so landlords there don't need a selective licence.
One tip: ward boundaries don't always follow postcodes neatly. If your property is near the edge of one of these wards, check the full address rather than relying on the postcode alone.
Which homes need a licence?
Selective licensing applies to privately rented homes occupied by one or two people, a single family or a single household. In other words, the everyday flat or house let on a standard tenancy.
A few types of property fall outside it, including social housing, holiday lets and homes that already hold an HMO licence. Shared houses are covered separately: Islington runs additional HMO licensing across the whole borough (from 1 February 2026 to 31 January 2031) for homes shared by three or four people from two or more households, and mandatory HMO licensing applies to five or more.
Key dates
- 21 August 2026: designation made by the council
- 7 September 2026: applications opened
- 23 November 2026: scheme comes into force
Applications are already open, so there's nothing to stop you getting yours in now.
What does it cost?
The fee is £850 per property, paid in two parts: £450 when you apply and £400 once the licence is granted. Discounts come off the second payment, with £75 off for accredited landlords, £50 off for homes with an EPC rating of A to C, and £25 off renewals where there's been no gap in licensing.
There's no early bird rate, but there is a good reason not to leave it late. Landlords who apply after the scheme starts may be granted a one year licence rather than the full five years, which means paying again much sooner.
Why it's worth acting now
Enforcement starts on the day the scheme comes into force, and councils tend to be at their busiest in the first few months of a new scheme. Letting an unlicensed property can lead to a civil penalty of up to £40,000 per property, and tenants can apply for a Rent Repayment Order of up to 24 months' rent. Letting agents can also be held jointly responsible, so it's something we take seriously on behalf of every landlord we work with.
Your simple checklist
- Check whether each property sits in one of the ten wards, using the full address.
- Confirm who lives there, as this decides whether selective or HMO licensing applies.
- Gather your paperwork: gas safety certificate, EICR, EPC, tenancy agreement and proof of ownership or management.
- Apply through Islington Council's online licensing portal before 23 November.
- Diarise the licence expiry date and any conditions attached to it.
The good news
Licensing is designed to raise standards across the private rented sector, and for landlords who already look after their homes and their tenants well, the paperwork is very manageable. A licensed, compliant property is a reassuring thing for tenants to see, and it puts you on the front foot rather than playing catch up.
We know these schemes have a habit of arriving quietly, so we'll be keeping a close eye on licensing across the Central London wards we cover as there have been talks of Camden selective licensing for a while. In the meantime, if you'd like a hand checking whether your Islington property is affected, or getting your application together, our lettings team is always happy to help.
Kind Regards
Megan Cutforth
Greater London Properties Your Home, Your Story
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