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For landlordsLetting a property in Barking and Dagenham: a landlord’s guide
Licensing, certificates, deposits and the local figures for landlords letting in Barking and Dagenham.
General information as at October 2026, not legal advice. Always check the council’s current scheme before letting.
Landlord licensing in Barking and Dagenham
- Selective licensing: Selective licensing covers most privately rented homes in three designated areas of the borough, from 6 April 2025 to 5 April 2030 (it replaced the earlier scheme that ended in 2024). Check the council's designation maps for a particular street.
- Additional HMO licensing: Borough-wide additional HMO licensing for smaller HMOs (three or four people in two or more households), launched on 9 January 2025 for five years.
- Fees: About £950 for a selective licence, paid in two parts (£650 on application and £300 on grant, per the council's fee table; another council page shows £470 + £430, so check the current fees).
Separately, every large HMO (5 or more people forming 2 or more households) needs a mandatory HMO licence anywhere in England. Source: Barking and Dagenham Council.
Barking and Dagenham Council: private renting and licensing
Safety certificates
- Gas Safety (CP12): every 12 months, by a Gas Safe registered engineer.
- EICR: at least every 5 years, by a qualified electrician.
- EPC: rated E or above, valid for 10 years.
- Alarms: a smoke alarm on every storey, and a carbon monoxide alarm in rooms with a fixed combustion appliance (not gas cookers).
Book a Gas Safety certificate, EICR or EPC in Barking and Dagenham at a fixed price, and keep track of expiry dates in the free landlord dashboard.
Deposits and the inventory
Protect the deposit in the DPS, TDS or mydeposits within 30 days. At the end, the scheme decides any dispute on the evidence, above all the check-in compared with the check-out, so the inventory is what protects you.
What to record in Barking and Dagenham homes
- In Becontree Estate cottages, photograph the front and back gardens, fences and sheds, since boundary and outbuilding condition is a common dispute in these small terraced houses.
- Many ex-council houses have later uPVC windows and doors: photograph each handle, lock and any misted double-glazed units, and count the window keys.
- Check for loft and wall extensions or converted garages in ex-council houses and photograph their ceilings and corners for damp or cracks.
- In new-build flats at Barking Riverside and the town centre, record fob, car park and post box key counts, and photograph the meter cupboard and any communal heating unit.
- Photograph bathroom extractor fans, window seals and the corners of ceilings in each room, as condensation mould is common in older, smaller terraced houses.
Homes sold in Barking and Dagenham in the last 12 months
| Type | Sales | Average price |
|---|---|---|
| Terraced | 639 | £405,862 |
| Flat or maisonette | 254 | £229,518 |
| Semi-detached | 110 | £452,329 |
| Other | 38 | £1,697,025 |
| Detached | 16 | £486,756 |
HM Land Registry Price Paid Data since 27 October 2025, updated monthly. Look up any address in the free property report.
Letting in Barking and Dagenham: questions
Is there selective licensing in Barking and Dagenham?
Selective licensing covers most privately rented homes in three designated areas of the borough, from 6 April 2025 to 5 April 2030 (it replaced the earlier scheme that ended in 2024). Check the council's designation maps for a particular street. Check the council’s page before letting: schemes are renewed and changed every few years.
What certificates does a landlord need in Barking and Dagenham?
A Gas Safety certificate every 12 months (where there is gas), an electrical safety report (EICR) at least every 5 years, and a valid EPC rated E or above, plus working smoke alarms on every storey and carbon monoxide alarms by fixed combustion appliances.
How long do I have to protect a deposit?
30 days from receiving it, in the DPS, TDS or mydeposits, with the prescribed information given to the tenant in the same 30 days.
Do I need an inventory as a landlord in Barking and Dagenham?
It isn’t a legal requirement, but without a signed check-in record it is very hard to claim anything from the deposit at the end. With DIY Inventory you can do it yourself for £30, or send your tenant a link to do it.
Ready when you have the keys
Do your Barking and Dagenham check-in yourself, on your phone, for £30.
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