If you rent in Finsbury Park, Hillrise or Tollington, your landlord may already need a selective licence. If they have been letting without one when it was required, you may be able to claim rent back.
Seven more wards join on 23 November 2026. Applications opened on 7 September, but that does not make the new requirement live yet. Your ward, the type of home and the dates all matter when checking whether your landlord has broken the rules.
What is selective licensing?
Selective licensing requires landlords to get a council licence for certain privately rented homes in a designated area. Islington's scheme covers homes occupied by 1 or 2 people, related or unrelated, or by a single family or household of any size. That includes a one-bedroom flat rented by someone living alone.
Some homes sit outside the selective scheme, including council and housing association homes, HMOs covered by separate licensing rules, and homes under a management order or temporary exemption. Check the property's circumstances with the council before assuming a licence is missing.
The licence sets standards for the property's safety and management. Managing a home that needs a selective licence without one can be an offence under section 95 of the Housing Act 2004. A valid, pending licence application can provide a defence, as can a reasonable excuse.
Which Islington wards need a selective licence?
Three wards have been covered since 20 May 2024:
- Finsbury Park
- Hillrise
- Tollington
A non-exempt home within the scheme needs a licence in these wards now. Seven more wards join from 23 November 2026:
- Barnsbury
- Caledonian
- Highbury
- Junction
- Laycock
- Mildmay
- Tufnell Park
Landlords in the seven new wards can apply from 7 September 2026, but Islington's licensing guidance confirms that the requirement starts on 23 November 2026. Letting without a selective licence there before that date is not an offence under the new scheme.
HMO licensing already applies across the borough. The additional scheme includes homes shared by 3 or 4 people from 2 or more households who share facilities, as well as certain converted buildings. Its current designation runs from 1 February 2026 to 31 January 2031. Larger shared homes may need a mandatory HMO licence.
Can I claim rent back from an unlicensed Islington landlord?
If your landlord has committed a licensing offence, you may be able to claim a Rent Repayment Order. This is an order from the First-tier Tribunal (Property Chamber) making the landlord repay rent. An empty register search alone does not prove an offence, so check pending applications and exemptions too.
For unlicensed letting from 1 May 2026, the maximum period increased from 12 months to 2 years under section 103 of the Renters' Rights Act 2025, which amended section 44 of the Housing and Planning Act 2016. Only rent for the period when the offence was being committed counts.
For an offence spanning 1 May, the earlier and later periods follow different rules. Regulation 11 of SI 2026/421 preserves the old rules, including the 12-month cap, for the earlier part. The new 2-year limit applies to the later part, so a full 24-month period of post-May unlicensed letting cannot build up until 2028.
For example, if you personally paid £1,200 a month, excluding utilities and benefit-funded rent, for an eligible unlicensed period from 1 May to 31 August 2026, that gives £4,800 of rent to assess. It is a ceiling for that period, not a predicted award.
The tribunal considers the circumstances, including both parties' conduct and the landlord's finances. Under the new rules, a conviction or final civil penalty for the offence, or qualifying previous enforcement for the same offence, can require the maximum award unless exceptional circumstances apply. The government's tenant guidance explains these rules.
You can apply after moving out, but the application window is 12 months for offences committed wholly before 1 May 2026, and 2 years for offences committed on or after that date, following section 98 of the Renters' Rights Act 2025. These are strict limits based on when the offence was committed, not when you discovered it. Apply before the relevant anniversary of the last day the licensing offence was committed during your tenancy, not on that anniversary. The tribunal cannot extend the deadline, so get the dates checked promptly, especially if the unlicensed period spans 1 May.
How to check if your Islington home should be licensed
Start with the ward and the type of home. Use Islington's ward finder to check your address. The three original wards are covered now, while the seven new wards join on 23 November 2026. Check whether selective licensing or an existing HMO scheme applies, and whether your home is exempt.
Then search Islington's public licence register. Email property.licensing@islington.gov.uk to confirm the licence history and any valid pending application or exemption. Ask the team to investigate if a licence should be in place but is not.
Keep your tenancy agreement, proof of rent paid and the dates you lived there. Our RRO evidence guide explains what to collect, and our tribunal application guide takes you through the process.
If you think your Islington landlord is letting without a licence they need, Remedy can check whether the scheme applies to your home and work out what a Rent Repayment Order might be worth before you file anything.
