Ealing Council Launches Consultation on HMO Licensing
Says existing scheme has uncovered thousands of hazards
The scheme covers smaller house in multiple occupation. Picture: Ealing Council
July 27, 2026
Ealing Council has launched a public consultation on the future of licensing smaller houses in multiple occupation (HMOs), inviting residents, tenants, landlords, businesses and community groups to give their views. The council is proposing to continue its existing licensing scheme—which expires in April 2027—for up to a further five years.
HMOs are properties where people from different households share facilities such as kitchens or bathrooms. Licensing requires landlords to meet legal standards for safety and management, and gives the council powers to tackle issues including overcrowding, poor housing conditions, fly-tipping, noise complaints and antisocial behaviour.
The council says the scheme has been crucial in uncovering serious hazards that would otherwise go unnoticed. In one 2023 inspection, officers found a bed hidden behind curtains in a shared kitchen and living area—an arrangement that posed a fire risk and left the tenant without privacy. The landlord was ordered to remove the sleeping area immediately.
Councillor Louise Brett, deputy leader and cabinet member for safe and genuinely affordable homes, said the consultation is an opportunity for people across Ealing to shape how the borough approaches shared housing in the years ahead.
“We know that many people rely on shared housing as an affordable place to live. But some rented HMOs fall below the standards people should expect,” she said. “Our inspections continue to find serious hazards, unsafe conditions, and poor management in too many shared homes. Your feedback will help shape how the council approaches HMO licensing in the future and how we continue to make renting safer across our seven towns.”
Over the past two years, council inspectors identified 4,890 housing hazards during visits to more than 900 HMOs—with around two-thirds of inspected properties requiring action. Between April 2021 and April 2026, the council recorded 3,649 antisocial behaviour incidents linked to known HMO properties.
The proposed scheme would continue to cover smaller HMOs housing three or four people from more than one household. The council says it would support responsible landlords while enabling the council to take enforcement action against those who fail to meet required standards.
HMO licensing forms part of a wider programme to raise standards in privately rented homes across Ealing. The council carries out inspections, investigates unlicensed properties, supports tenants facing illegal eviction or harassment, and works with landlords to help them meet legal requirements. It also collaborates closely with partners including the police and London Fire Brigade to address housing issues and antisocial behaviour.
Since April 2025, the council has issued 28 civil penalties for unlicensed HMOs and brought 56 previously unlicensed properties into the licensing system. A specialist team has also been created to tackle antisocial behaviour linked to licensed properties.
The consultation survey is open until 24 September, giving residents and stakeholders across Ealing the chance to influence how shared housing is regulated.
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