Letting a property in Brent: a landlord’s guide

General information as at October 2026, not legal advice. Always check the council’s current scheme before letting.

Landlord licensing in Brent

• Selective licensing: Selective licensing covers every ward except Wembley Park, under two designations: Dollis Hill, Harlesden & Kensal Green and Willesden Green from 1 August 2023 (to 31 July 2028), and the other 18 wards from 1 April 2024 (to 31 March 2029).
• Additional HMO licensing: A new borough-wide additional HMO licensing scheme came into force in February 2026 (approved by Cabinet on 13 October 2025) and runs for five years.
• Fees: £640 for a new selective licence (£340 on application + £300 on grant) and £1,040 for an additional HMO licence (Brent fee page, February 2026).

Separately, every large HMO (5 or more people forming 2 or more households) needs a mandatory HMO licence anywhere in England. Source: Brent Council.

Brent 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 Brent 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 Brent homes

• In Victorian terraces converted into flats in Kilburn and Harlesden, photograph the shared hallway, the front door and meter cupboards, and note which meters belong to the flat.
• In shared houses, photograph each room's door lock, smoke alarm and fire door closers, and the condition of the shared kitchen and bathroom.
• In Wembley Park and Alperton new-build flats, record fob, parking and post box key counts and photograph the heat interface unit, appliances and any balcony.
• Check sash or older timber windows in Victorian flats for broken cords, rot and draughts, and photograph each window's lock.
• Photograph ceilings and corners in each room for mould, as condensation is common in converted flats with small bathrooms and kitchens.

Start your inventory free

Homes sold in Brent in the last 12 months

Type	Sales	Average price
Flat or maisonette	725	£418,446
Terraced	321	£836,955
Semi-detached	272	£728,825
Other	85	£1,599,509
Detached	48	£1,408,726

HM Land Registry Price Paid Data since 27 October 2025, updated monthly. Look up any address in the free property report.