Ealing has 3 discretionary licensing schemes on our record: additional HMO licensing (in force), selective licensing (in force). A new scheme is being consulted on or awaiting a decision. Mandatory HMO licensing applies everywhere in England to HMOs with 5 or more people in 2 or more households.
Selective: yesAdditional HMO: yesMandatory HMO: alwaysChecked 28 Sep 2026
| Area covered | Whole council area |
|---|---|
| Runs | 1 Apr 2022 to 31 Mar 2027 |
| Fee | £1,300 (Part A £300 + Part B £1,000) per HMO (3-4 occupants); s257 £1,100 (£400+£700) |
| Discounts | £75 accredited, £50 EPC A-C (off Part B) |
| Late / penalty fee | renewal >1 month after expiry may get 1-year licence |
Council licensing page Council address checker Public register
Note from our check: fees schedule labelled "Fees 2024"
Checked 28 Sept 2026.
| Area covered | Listed wards only (3 wards) |
|---|---|
| Runs | 1 Apr 2022 to 31 Mar 2027 |
| Fee | £750 (Part A £250 + Part B £500) per property |
| Discounts | £75 accredited; £50 EPC A-C; 10% for 2+ flats same building (selective only) |
East Acton · Southall Broadway · Southall Green
Ward or street lists can split a road. Use the council's own address checker or designation map before relying on this list.
Council licensing page Council address checker Public register
Note from our check: council text "Perivale and South Acton" = two wards; pre-2022 wards -> use ONSPD 2021 ward field
Checked 28 Sept 2026.
| Area covered | Listed wards only (12 wards) |
|---|---|
| Runs | 3 Jan 2023 to 2 Jan 2028 |
| Fee | £750 (Part A £250 + Part B £500) per property |
| Discounts | £75 accredited; £50 EPC A-C; 10% for 2+ flats same building (selective only) |
Acton Central · Dormers Wells · Greenford Broadway · Greenford Green · Hanger Hill · Hobbayne · Lady Margaret · North Greenford · Northolt Mandeville · Northolt West End · Perivale · South Acton
Ward or street lists can split a road. Use the council's own address checker or designation map before relying on this list.
Council licensing page Council address checker Public register
Note from our check: council text "Perivale and South Acton" = two wards; pre-2022 wards -> use ONSPD 2021 ward field
Checked 28 Sept 2026.
| Area covered | Area not confirmed |
|---|---|
| Consultation | 15 Jul 2026 to 24 Sept 2026 |
Ward or street lists can split a road. Use the council's own address checker or designation map before relying on this list.
Council licensing page Public register
Note from our check: proposal details on JS-only engagement site (not read); outcome pending; current scheme ends 31 Mar 2027
Checked 28 Sept 2026.
| Date | What | Scheme | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| 31 Mar 2027 estimated (start + 5 years) in 184 days | scheme end | Additional HMO licensing | council |
| 31 Mar 2027 estimated (start + 5 years) in 184 days | scheme end | Selective licensing | council |
| 2 Jan 2028 estimated (start + 5 years) in 461 days | scheme end | Selective licensing | council |
Want a reminder before a deadline? Use the form at the bottom of this page and pick "Email me before my deadlines".
Whatever the local schemes, a licence is required for any house in multiple occupation let to 5 or more people forming 2 or more households who share a kitchen, bathroom or toilet. This rule is national and has applied since 1 October 2018. Letting without a required licence is a criminal offence under section 72 of the Housing Act 2004. Read do I need an HMO licence? and how to apply.
The council's public register of licensed properties: London Borough of Ealing public register. Use it to check whether a property already holds a licence, for example before you buy. Licences do not transfer to a new owner.
Ealing does not publish Article 4 data to the national planning data platform, so we cannot tell you from official data whether an HMO Article 4 direction applies. Absence of data is not absence of a direction: check the council's planning pages.
Licensing and planning are separate. A licence does not give planning permission, and planning permission does not replace a licence. See Article 4 and HMOs.
Figures below count First-tier Tribunal (Property Chamber) decisions published on GOV.UK for properties located in Ealing. They show how tenants and the council use enforcement here. Most civil penalties are paid without appeal, so they never reach the tribunal.
| Rent repayment order decisions | 19 (13 in the last 3 years) |
|---|---|
| Orders made | 13 (81.2% of decisions with a known outcome) |
| Median award | £5,831 (last 3 years: £5,831) |
| Total awarded | £114,480 |
| Civil penalty appeals | 3 |
| Penalty upheld (in full or reduced) | 100% · confirmed in full 0% |
| Median penalty: council's notice / after tribunal | £10,200 / £16,200 |
| Other Housing Act appeals (licence terms, notices, orders) | 2 |
| Decided | Area | Property | Offence alleged | Outcome | Amount | Decision |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 19 Aug 2026 | UB5 | Flat | unlicensed HMO | Withdrawn / struck out | — | GOV.UK |
| 10 Aug 2026 | W4 | HMO | unlicensed HMO | Order made | £17,475 | GOV.UK |
| 3 Jul 2026 | W3 | Flat | unlicensed (selective licensing) | See decision | — | GOV.UK |
| 18 Mar 2026 | W3 | HMO | unlicensed HMO; unlicensed (selective licensing); unlawful eviction / harassment; failure to comply with improvement notice; breach of banning order | Order made | £23,232 | GOV.UK |
| 9 Feb 2026 | UB5 | Flat | unlicensed (selective licensing) | Order made | £5,220 | GOV.UK |
Amounts and outcomes are extracted automatically from the decision text and can be wrong; open the decision on GOV.UK for the full reasons. Party names are not shown. Information, not legal advice.
If you have let without a licence you needed, read unlicensed property: what to do, rent repayment orders and civil penalties.
Ealing is in the London region of the new Private Rented Sector Database. Registration opens 15 Jul 2027 and the deadline to register is 14 Oct 2027. The published fee is £65 per property per year. Database registration is separate from council licensing: you may need both. See register your rental property.
We can prepare a licence application for you for a fixed fee; the council's own fee is separate. See pricing for what is included and how we make money. You can also run a full address check on the postcode checker.
Yes. Selective designation 1: in force until 31 Mar 2027 (part of the area); Selective designation 2: in force until 2 Jan 2028 (part of the area). Check the council's map or address checker to confirm your street.
Additional HMO licensing: £1,300 (per HMO (3-4 occupants); s257 £1,100 (£400+£700)); Selective licensing: £750 (per property); Selective licensing: £750 (per property). Fees for mandatory HMO licences are set by the council and published on its fees page.
Ealing does not publish Article 4 data to the national planning data platform, so we cannot tell you from official data whether an HMO Article 4 direction applies. Absence of data is not absence of a direction: check the council's planning pages.
The council publishes its public register of licences here: London Borough of Ealing register. Councils must keep a register of licences under section 232 of the Housing Act 2004.
The First-tier Tribunal has published 19 rent repayment order decisions for properties in Ealing (13 with an order made), median award £5,831, and 3 civil penalty appeals. Most penalties are never appealed, so the true number of fines is higher.
Related: selective licensing in England · additional HMO licensing · HMO licence cost · HMO rules · HMO hub
Last checked 28 Sep 2026. Information, not legal advice. Licensing schemes change often; always confirm with the council before you act.