Private rented property licensing

Private rented property licensing schemes have been introduced in order to improve property conditions and management standards in the borough's privately rented homes.

This means that if you own or manage a private rented property within designated parts of the borough it is a legal requirement to get a property licence. Licences come with conditions that relate to the use and management of the property. View the:

All Houses in Multiple Occupation (HMO) in any part of the borough will need an HMO licence.

All non HMOs within designated parts of the borough will need a selective licence.

Licences come with conditions that relate to the use and management of the property. All licence holders and managing agents also need to pass a Fit and Proper Person check to ensure that people who have committed serious crimes are not able to be a licence holder or manager of a licensed property.

Licensing schemes

Houses in multiple occupation licensing

A house in multiple occupation (HMO) is a property rented out by three or more people living as two or more households and they share some (or lack) some facilities such as a kitchen or bathroom and it is the occupiers main residence.

A household is defined as a married couple or civil partnership, parent, grandparent, child, grandchild, brother, sister, uncle, aunt, nephew, niece or cousin.

Any private rented HMO in the borough must have a licence.

There are two HMO licensing schemes in Ealing.

Mandatory HMO licensing

An HMO rented to five or more people living as two or more households who share facilities and it is the occupiers main residence will need to be licensed under the national mandatory scheme.

Additional HMO Licensing

HMOs rented to three or four people living as two or more households who share (or lack) facilities and it is the occupiers main residence require an Additional' HMO licence.

For more information see our HMO property licensing pages.

Selective licensing

Selective licensing applies to all non HMOs in designated areas which are based on pre 2022 ward boundaries.

You can check which licensing schemes apply to a property using the property licensing postcode checker or property licensing map checker

If you want to know if a specific property has a licence, check our property licence register. The register will not show properties where a licence application has been made but not yet determined.

We have published answers to over a hundred frequently asked questions about selective licensing.

There is also a vdeo on how to make a property licensing application to the council.