Landlord licensing and compliance in Hertsmere
Hertsmere requires licences for qualifying large HMOs and publishes a register. Its fee page does not state a fee year, and council pages give conflicting signals about whether the Potters Bar HMO Article 4 Direction has been confirmed and when it takes effect.
HMO licensing and fees
Hertsmere requires a licence for a qualifying HMO occupied by five or more people from two or more households who share facilities. Its published charges are £1,306 for up to five occupants, plus £105 for each additional occupant; renewal is shown at the same rate. A £55 recognised-landlord-association discount and £366 variation fee are also listed, but no fee year or instalment schedule is stated. Check the current charge before applying. The council links a dated licensed-HMO register.
Potters Bar Article 4 status needs checking
The council describes a non-immediate HMO Article 4 Direction made on 23 April 2026 for parts of Potters Bar, including Parkfield, Oakmere, Furzefield and Bentley Heath and The Royds wards. Its consultation ran from 6 May to 17 June 2026 and one page says the direction would take effect on 6 May 2027 if confirmed. The same page links a confirmation notice and a sealed direction described as confirmed. Check with planning which date and legal status currently apply. Article 4 planning control is separate from HMO licensing.
Sources: Hertsmere Borough Council HMO licensing and register information, enforcement policy and HMO Article 4 pages. Fee year, typical licence term, selective/additional scheme status and the current confirmation/effective date of the Potters Bar direction remain UNVERIFIED - could not confirm on council website. Illustrative guide - scheme boundaries and dates change; general information, not legal advice.
Renewal tracked from expiry, reminders from 60 days out, proof of service to tenants logged. Knows the 2-month early-renewal rule that keeps your date fixed.
Five years goes quicker than you think. Kept remembers so you don't have to - including the 28-day duty to give tenants a copy.
Expiry tracked from the certificate details you confirm - band E is the current minimum for most domestic private lets unless exempt, and proposed changes are flagged only when they become law.
30-day protection window tracked from the day the money lands - not the tenancy date - with prescribed information logged.
Check dates and follow-up dates for time-limited permissions, stored against each tenant.
Smoke alarms every storey, CO alarms where required, checked and dated at the start of every tenancy.
A one-off duty for tenancies that existed on 1 May 2026. Who was served, when, and how - the £7,000 question, answered with a dated record.
Preparation and export support for the future official registration process - clearly marked as planned.
Selective licensing (ordinary lets): UNVERIFIED - could not confirm on council website. See the local picture above - every other duty applies exactly as it does nationwide.
Add a postcode and Kept resolves the council, location and local context automatically.
Planned preparation and export support for the government's regional PRS Database rollout.