Islington Council Expands Landlord Licensing Scheme Across North London 2026

Key Points

• Selective Property Licensing in Islington will be expanded to seven further wards commencing 23 November.
• The further wards consist of Barnsbury, Caledonian, Tufnell Park, Mildmay, Highbury, Junction, and Laycock.
• The Selective Property Licensing Scheme covers rented residential properties that are limited to one or two occupants or one household/family.
• Landlords within the selected wards must strictly adhere to the council’s requirements pertaining to repairs, safety, security, and waste management.
• The application for licences from properties from the extended Selective Property Licensing Scheme is now available.
• Properties that are HMOs where there are three or more unrelated persons will need to apply for a mandatory property licence.

Islington (North London News) September 10, 2026 – Thousands of private tenants across North London are set to gain stronger legal protections, improved safety assurances, and elevated housing conditions following a major expansion of a local authority property licensing framework. Islington Council has formally confirmed that its Selective Property Licensing scheme, which currently operates within the Finsbury Park, Hillrise, and Tollington wards, will be extended to cover seven additional wards across the borough from 23 November. Under this regulatory expansion, landlords operating private rented accommodations within Barnsbury, Caledonian, Tufnell Park, Mildmay, Highbury, Junction, and Laycock will be legally required to secure a council-approved licence to continue letting their properties.

Which New Wards Are Included in the Islington Property Licensing Expansion?

The expansion broadens the geographical scope of local authority oversight within Islington’s private rented sector. As reported by local media coverage of the council announcement, the selective licensing framework will now encompass Barnsbury, Caledonian, Tufnell Park, Mildmay, Highbury, Junction, and Laycock. These areas join Finsbury Park, Hillrise, and Tollington, where selective licensing measures have already been actively enforced.

The scheme specifically targets privately rented dwellings occupied either by a single household or by one or two independent tenants, regardless of whether they are related. By extending the scheme to these seven additional wards, the local authority aims to address systemic issues regarding substandard housing conditions, inadequate property maintenance, and poor management practices across a significantly larger proportion of the borough’s housing stock.

What Are the Mandatory Standards Required from Landlords Under the Scheme?

Under the terms of the Selective Property Licensing scheme, property owners and letting agents must meet specific regulatory criteria established by Islington Council before a licence is granted. Landlords must demonstrate compliance across several operational categories, including:

• Property Safety and Maintenance: Ensuring structural integrity, functioning smoke and carbon monoxide alarms, and prompt resolution of disrepair.
• Security Standards: Providing secure doors, locks, and adequate window fastenings to protect residents from potential intrusions.
• Waste Management: Supplying proper refuse storage and clear instructions to tenants regarding local recycling and waste collection schedules.
• Tenant Information: Presenting clear, written tenancy agreements alongside necessary statutory documentation, including gas safety certificates and Energy Performance Certificates (EPCs).

Applications for property licences in the newly designated wards have opened ahead of the formal 23 November enforcement date, allowing landlords time to process paperwork and bring properties into full compliance.

How Have Council Officials and Local Residents Reacted to the Expansion?

Local authority leaders have framed the measure as an essential intervention to protect private renters who frequently face inflated living costs alongside poor structural conditions.

As reported by local news outlets covering the declaration, Councillor Jason Jackson, executive member for homes and neighbourhoods at Islington Council, stated:

“We believe that everyone deserves to have a home that is safe, well maintained, and well managed.”

Highlighting the overarching policy objectives of the local authority, Councillor Jackson further remarked:

“Our aim is for homes in the private rented sector to be high quality, low carbon, affordable, and environmentally friendly. We want our residents to have a good choice of quality homes in clean, safe, and vibrant neighbourhoods and for landlords to be responsible and meet their obligations to their tenants.”

Addressing the broader context of housing in the borough, Councillor Jackson added:

“Islington is a popular place to rent with nearly a third of homes in Islington privately rented, and the council is committed to standing alongside renters who too often face poor conditions and rising rents.”

The expansion has also received a positive response from local private renters living within the affected areas. As reported in the original news coverage, Sayeh Yousefi, a private renter residing in Angel, welcomed the council’s intervention:

“This seems like a great decision that will help ensure renters live in well and properly managed properties. Having standard requirements for landlords will make it easier for tenants to advocate for themeselves when asking for repairs and maintenance.”

To ensure transparency and compliance, Islington Council maintains a public registry. Tenants wishing to verify whether their rental home is properly registered can search the official Landlord Licence Public Register hosted on the council’s online portal.

How Does Selective Licensing Interact with Existing HMO Rules?

The selective property licensing update runs parallel to existing statutory licensing requirements for shared rental properties. In addition to the selective scheme covering single-household rentals and small tenancies, landlords managing Houses in Multiple Occupation (HMOs)—defined as properties occupied by three or more unrelated tenants sharing facilities such as kitchens or bathrooms—must obtain a distinct HMO property licence.

The dual-track regulatory setup ensures that larger shared properties and standard single-family private lets are subject to active council monitoring, safety audits, and enforcement mechanisms.

Background of the Development

Selective property licensing was introduced under the Housing Act 2004, granting local housing authorities in England the power to designate specific areas for mandatory landlord licensing. The statutory aim of these powers is to combat poor housing standards, reduce anti-social behaviour, curb rogue landlord practices, and mitigate high levels of deprivation in target neighbourhoods.

Historically, Islington Council has utilized targeted licensing to monitor its expanding private rented sector, which accounts for roughly one-third of all residential properties in the borough. Early iterations of the council’s selective licensing strategy focused on specific hotspots, including Finsbury Park, Hillrise, and Tollington, where public consultations and local surveys flagged persistent issues regarding property maintenance, damp and mould, unaddressed disrepair, and improper waste disposal.

The decision to expand the scheme into Barnsbury, Caledonian, Tufnell Park, Mildmay, Highbury, Junction, and Laycock follows extensive evidence gathering, public consultations, and evaluation of the initial schemes. By extending coverage across these additional seven wards, Islington aligns itself with several other London boroughs—such as Newham, Waltham Forest, and Tower Hamlets—that have scaled up borough-wide or multi-ward licensing schemes to establish baseline standards for private tenancy management.

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Prediction: How This Development Can Affect Private Renters, Landlords, and the Local Housing Market

The expansion of selective property licensing across seven additional Islington wards is expected to have notable impacts on key stakeholders within the local housing market.

Impact on Private Renters

For the borough’s private tenants, the scheme provides stronger statutory leverage when dealing with property maintenance and structural issues. With properties held to standardized compliance benchmarks, renters are likely to see faster response times for essential repairs, safer living environments, and clearer avenues for reporting rogue landlord practices to the local authority without fear of arbitrary eviction. However, there remains a potential secondary effect: some landlords may attempt to pass the administrative and financial costs of obtaining a licence on to tenants through minor rent increases, further straining affordability in a competitive market.

Impact on Landlords and Property Managers

Landlords operating within Barnsbury, Caledonian, Tufnell Park, Mildmay, Highbury, Junction, and Laycock face immediate administrative requirements. Responsible landlords who already maintain high standards will primarily experience an administrative process and licensing fee. Conversely, non-compliant or speculative landlords will need to invest capital into structural upgrades, safety checks, and formal maintenance frameworks to secure a licence. Those failing to apply face significant financial penalties, including Civil Penalty Notices or prosecution through the magistrates’ court. Over time, this regulatory pressure may encourage non-compliant landlords to exit the market or transfer management to professional letting agencies.

Impact on the Broader Local Housing Market

In the medium to long term, the expansion is likely to raise the baseline quality of the private rented sector across North London. While it may temporarily squeeze supply if non-compliant landlords choose to sell off properties rather than invest in upgrades, it establishes a more regulated, accountable private rental ecosystem. The widespread public visibility of the council’s Landlord Licence Public Register is also anticipated to drive higher tenant awareness, effectively driving down demand for unlicensed, substandard housing options across the borough.