By Jeff Glass, Lead Compliance Consultant · HMO KIT · Last verified 16 September 2026
Haringey Additional HMO Licensing: What Landlords Need to Know in 2026
If you rent out an HMO in Haringey, the question is no longer simply whether a five-bedroom house needs a licence. Smaller HMOs can need one too — and the 2026/27 fee, certificates and enforcement landscape have all moved on.
Haringey additional licensing at a glance
| Question | Current position |
|---|---|
| Does Haringey have additional HMO licensing? | Yes — borough-wide |
| When did the current scheme start? | 17 June 2024 |
| When does it end? | 16 June 2029 |
| Typical property covered | HMO with 3 or 4 occupiers, from 2 or more households, sharing facilities |
| What about 5+ occupiers? | Usually mandatory HMO licensing instead |
| 2026/27 full licence fee | £1,411.68 |
| EPC C+ discount | £51.90 |
| Accredited landlord discount | £51.90 |
| Area covered | All of the London Borough of Haringey |
| Potential Rent Repayment Order | Up to 24 months’ rent for relevant offences from 1 May 2026 |
Designated 12 March 2024; in force 17 June 2024–16 June 2029. Fee uplift approved in Cabinet fees & charges for 2026/27 (from 1 April 2026). Sources: Haringey HMO licensing · Property Licensing fees appendix.
What is an additional HMO licence in Haringey?
Mandatory HMO licensing generally applies where five or more people, forming two or more households, occupy a property and share facilities. Additional licensing goes further.
Haringey’s current scheme catches most smaller HMOs outside mandatory licensing — typically a house or flat occupied by three or four unrelated people who share a kitchen or bathroom. Three friends in a three-bedroom house? Potential HMO. Two friends and the partner of one of them? Potential HMO. A family of four living together is one household, so it isn’t an HMO merely because four people live there.
HMO status depends on both the number of occupiers and the number of households — not simply the number of tenancy agreements. See mandatory vs additional vs selective or run the free licence checker for Haringey.
Is the whole of Haringey covered?
Yes. Unlike selective licensing — where individual wards make all the difference — Haringey’s additional HMO scheme covers the entire borough, including Tottenham, Wood Green, Hornsey, Crouch End, Muswell Hill and Harringay. There isn’t a safe western half or an exempt eastern pocket to remember.
One word of caution: Haringey and Harringay are not the same thing. Harringay is an area within the wider London Borough of Haringey. The additional licensing designation is borough-wide.
Map: selective wards still matter for non-HMO lets
Additional HMO licensing applies everywhere. Blue wards on the map show where selective licensing also applies to other privately rented homes.
Confirm scheme cards and contacts on the Haringey borough hub.
How much is a Haringey HMO licence in 2026?
For 2025/26, Haringey’s additional HMO licensing fee was £1,360. From 1 April 2026, the approved 2026/27 charge increased by 3.8% to £1,411.68. The same headline fee currently applies to mandatory HMO licensing. Discounts rose to £51.90 for qualifying landlord accreditation and £51.90 where the property has an EPC rating of C or above.
| Fee | Amount |
|---|---|
| Full additional HMO licence | £1,411.68 |
| Part A (application) | £641.48 |
| Part B (before licence issued) | £770.20 |
| Accredited landlord discount | £51.90 (off Part A) |
| EPC C or above discount | £51.90 (off Part B) |
| Potential combined discounts | £103.80 |
| Selective licence (separate scheme) | £705.84 |
Haringey uses a split-fee system: Part A covers processing and validation; Part B covers scheme running and compliance costs. Part A / Part B figures above are the previous £618 / £742 structure uplifted by the same 3.8% — confirm the live split on the council fees page when you apply.
A useful EPC wrinkle
An EPC rating of C is not yet the general legal minimum for privately rented homes in 2026 — the current national MEES minimum remains EPC E unless a valid exemption applies. Haringey still rewards better performance with a licensing discount for EPC C or above. The government has confirmed its intention for privately rented homes to reach the equivalent of EPC C by 1 October 2030, subject to the new standards and exemptions.
Compare London-wide fees on HMO licence cost London or the Haringey borough fee cards.
What certificates will you need for a Haringey HMO?
A licence application isn’t just an online form and a payment. Licensing also gives the council a framework for checking whether the HMO is being operated safely. Haringey’s current HMO licence conditions cover electrical safety, gas safety, fire precautions, smoke alarms, occupancy, waste management and general management standards.
| Requirement | What to watch |
|---|---|
| EICR | Produce to the council within 28 days when requested; normally inspect/test at intervals of no more than five years (or earlier if the report says so) |
| Fire risk assessment | Required under licence conditions — proportionate to layout and risk; not just a hallway domestic smoke alarm |
| Gas safety certificate | Current certificate within the previous 12 months where gas is installed; Gas Safe engineer; copy to tenants |
| Smoke / CO alarms | Appropriate detection for the property — larger/complex HMOs often need more than battery domestic detectors |
| EPC | Valid certificate; C+ unlocks the £51.90 discount |
Full checklist: licence documents checklist · EICR & gas guide · Haringey conditions page.
Don’t confuse HMO licensing with planning permission
An HMO licence does not give you planning permission — and planning permission does not automatically mean you’ve complied with HMO licensing. Haringey’s own licence conditions warn that property licensing does not grant approval under planning, building control or fire-safety legislation. Haringey also has Article 4 restrictions affecting C3 to C4 conversions. Before buying or converting an HMO, check both. Read Article 4 HMO London.
What about Section 257 HMOs?
A building converted into self-contained flats that does not meet the relevant conversion standard, and where less than two-thirds of the flats are owner-occupied, can potentially be a Section 257 HMO. Haringey operates a specific application route for Section 257 properties through its property licensing portal. Don’t assume “there are only flats in the building, so it can’t be an HMO.”
What happens if you don’t get a Haringey HMO licence?
Operating an HMO without the required additional licence is treated as a serious offence. Haringey’s March 2025 enforcement policy set a £12,500 starting point for additional-HMO licensing civil penalties, with illustrative examples ranging from £7,500 for a smaller portfolio to £17,500 for a large or experienced portfolio before aggravating factors. Poor conditions, overcrowding, inadequate fire precautions and evidence that the landlord already knew about licensing can increase seriousness. Prosecution can alternatively result in an unlimited fine. The statutory civil-penalty ceiling for relevant offences is now up to £40,000.
Haringey has been actively inspecting and enforcing under the scheme — this isn’t simply a register sitting quietly on a council server. Assume somebody may eventually look at the property, not merely the application form.
Rent Repayment Orders became more serious in May 2026
For relevant offences committed from 1 May 2026, the maximum Rent Repayment Order increased from 12 months to up to two years’ rent. The period in which an RRO can be pursued was also extended. Licensing offences are among those which can give rise to an RRO — a different calculation from simply deciding to “wait and see whether the council notices”.
September 2026 update: enforcement policy is changing again
Haringey has scheduled a Private Sector Housing Enforcement Policy update for Cabinet determination on 10 November 2026. The proposed revision is intended to bring the policy into line with the Renters’ Rights Act 2025, including new offences, investigatory powers and the civil-penalty framework. At the time of writing that revised policy has not yet been approved — we’ll update this page when Haringey publishes the final version. Relying on an old penalty table copied from a 2024 blog post is becoming an increasingly bad idea.
Haringey HMO licence application checklist
- Confirm whether the property needs additional, mandatory or Section 257 licensing (occupiers, households, shared facilities).
- Confirm the proposed licence holder and manager.
- Review planning status and permitted HMO use.
- Make sure EICR, gas safety, EPC and fire-safety documentation are current.
- Check the property against Haringey’s HMO standards (space, amenity, fire safety).
- Submit the correct application with the appropriate fee via the property licensing portal.
The portal also supports renewals, temporary exemptions and licence variations. Official apply guidance: applying for an HMO licence.
Does an existing Haringey HMO licence need renewing?
Don’t assume that because you applied under a previous scheme the licence automatically rolls into the current one. Check the expiry date on the actual licence. Licences are not transferable to a new licence holder — a change of ownership or licence holder needs a new application and fee. Haringey can also grant a shorter licence where there are concerns about management, occupation or condition.
Useful Haringey links
Haringey additional licensing FAQs
Does Haringey have additional HMO licensing?
Yes. A borough-wide additional HMO licensing scheme has been in force since 17 June 2024 and runs until 16 June 2029. Many properties occupied by three or four unrelated people need a licence even though they fall below the mandatory HMO threshold.
How much is a Haringey HMO licence in 2026/27?
The full additional (and mandatory) HMO licence fee is £1,411.68 from 1 April 2026 — a 3.8% increase on the previous £1,360. Qualifying accreditation and EPC C+ discounts are £51.90 each.
Is the whole of Haringey covered by additional licensing?
Yes. Unlike selective licensing, which is ward-based, additional HMO licensing covers the entire London Borough of Haringey — including Tottenham, Wood Green, Hornsey, Crouch End, Muswell Hill and Harringay.
Do I need a fire risk assessment for a Haringey HMO licence?
Haringey’s HMO licence conditions require appropriate general fire precautions and include carrying out a fire risk assessment to identify necessary fire precautions. What is proportionate depends on the property layout and risk profile.
Is additional licensing the same as selective licensing in Haringey?
No. Additional licensing covers HMOs borough-wide. Selective licensing applies to other privately rented homes in designated wards and has a separate 2026/27 fee of £705.84.
Can HMO KIT help with a Haringey HMO licence?
Yes. HMO KIT can help with property management and the licence application — checking which licence applies, preparing documents, and arranging supporting compliance work such as EICRs, EPCs and fire risk assessments where required.
Final thoughts
If you’ve got three or more occupiers from more than one household sharing facilities, don’t assume you’re below the licensing radar simply because there are fewer than five people. Check. The current scheme runs until June 2029. The 2026/27 full licence fee is £1,411.68. And with Rent Repayment Orders potentially reaching two years’ rent, the cost of getting licensing wrong has become substantially more uncomfortable.
The application itself isn’t necessarily the difficult bit — it’s discovering after you’ve applied that the EPC is out of date, the EICR needs remedial work, the fire assessment doesn’t reflect the current layout, or you’ve applied for the wrong licence. This guide is general information, not legal advice — confirm current Haringey Council requirements before acting.
Check your Haringey property first
Book a free consult, or run the free licence checker with Haringey selected.