Barnet has more households than any London borough but Croydon — 148,917 in 2021 — and I cover all of it: East Finchley, Finchley Central and North Finchley (N2, N3, N12), Whetstone and Totteridge (N20), Hendon (NW4), Mill Hill (NW7), Golders Green and Hampstead Garden Suburb (NW11), Colindale and Burnt Oak (NW9 and HA8), Edgware, and High Barnet, New Barnet and East Barnet (EN4, EN5). There is no travel surcharge anywhere inside Greater London.
| Households (2021 census) | 148,917 |
|---|---|
| Rented privately | 32.7% (London 30.0%) |
| Owned outright or with a mortgage | 52.7% (London 45.2%) |
| Social rented | 13.5% (London 23.1%) |
| Households living in a flat | 47.4% (London 54.0%) |
| …of which in a converted house | 8.8% of all households (London 11.1%) |
| Households in a house | 52.5% (London 45.9%) |
| Typical (median) EPC score | 71, band C (London 70) |
| Homes with an EPC rated C or above | 58% (London 58%) |
| Additional HMO licence (3 or more people, 2 or more households) | Whole borough |
| HMO licence fee, up to 5 units for 5 years | £1,872 (£1,061 + £811), from 1 January 2026 |
| Selective licence | £774 listed for Burnt Oak, Colindale North and Colindale South, “following designation” |
Sources: Census 2021, Office for National Statistics, tables TS054 (tenure) and TS044 (accommodation type) via Nomis; London means the 33 local authorities added together. Licensing: Barnet Council’s “What are houses in multiple occupation (HMOs)?” and “HMO Licensing fees and charges” pages, checked 22 October 2026. EPC figures: ONS, “Energy efficiency of housing in England and Wales” (28 October 2025), the latest certificate for each home lodged in the ten years to March 2025, at the score when it was assessed; homes without an EPC are not counted.
Barnet licenses every shared home
Barnet has adopted a borough-wide additional licensing scheme for smaller houses in multiple occupation: any HMO occupied by three or more people in two or more households needs a licence. It also covers buildings converted into self-contained flats that fall short of the 1991 Building Regulations, where the building has three or more storeys and at least three flats, all privately rented and under the same ownership or control. Larger HMOs, with five or more people in two or more households sharing basic facilities such as a kitchen, bathroom or WC, need a mandatory licence.
From 1 January 2026 an HMO licence for up to five units of accommodation costs £1,872 for five years — £1,061 with the application and £811 after the first inspection — plus £37 for each extra unit, with 10% off the first fee for accredited landlords. The same fee list sets a selective licence for Burnt Oak, Colindale North and Colindale South at £774 “following designation”, so if you let a home to one household in those wards, check with the council whether that scheme now applies to your address. Letting a property that should be licensed is an offence that can bring an unlimited fine on conviction or a civil penalty of up to £30,000, and tenants may be able to claim back up to 12 months’ rent. Checked on Barnet Council’s HMO licensing pages on 22 October 2026.
The EPC for a Barnet let
Licence or not, a home let to a single household needs a valid EPC, and most privately rented homes must be rated E or above unless an exemption has been registered — the landlord guide explains the rules, and the HMO guide covers when a shared house needs a certificate of its own. If an agent or the council asks for room sizes, a laser-measured floor plan records every room’s dimensions, from £123 together with the EPC.
What the assessment looks at in a Barnet home
How homes in Barnet score today. The ONS’s latest figures use each home’s most recent EPC lodged in the ten years to March 2025. The typical (median) score here is 71, band C, against 70 across London, and 58% of those homes are rated C or above (London 58%). Homes built before 1929 have a median of 63, against 84 for homes built since 2012; flats and maisonettes come out at 75, terraced houses at 66. How every London borough compares.
Just over half of Barnet households live in a house (52.5%), most often a semi (27.5%), and one in ten in a detached house (10.1%); 47.4% live in a flat.
Garden suburbs and cottage estates
Hampstead Garden Suburb was planned from 1906, when its trust bought 243 acres from Eton College and appointed Raymond Unwin as architect, giving less land to roads and more to gardens and open space. Burnt Oak grew up around the Watling Estate, one of twelve London County Council cottage estates built between the wars, and is still dominated by its 1920s terraces. Interwar houses can have solid walls or early cavities, and the assessment records what can be seen and what can be proved, so paperwork for any wall, loft or floor insulation is worth keeping.
Colindale’s new flats
Colindale has seen many new apartment blocks in recent years, much of it on land that was once Hendon Aerodrome and the RAF station, which began to pass to housing in 1972; the 1960s and 1970s Grahame Park estate stands on the same ground. A flat built in the last ten years probably already has an EPC from completion, so check whether yours is still valid before booking a new one.
Selling in Barnet
52.7% of Barnet households own their home. A sale needs an EPC ordered before the property is marketed; the sellers’ guide sets out the timing and the few exemptions.
Prices
- Domestic EPC from £69
- EPC + floor plan from £123, in one visit
- Floor plan only from £69
Guide prices by size: £69 up to 52 square metres, which covers most one-bedroom flats, £75 for two bedrooms, £85 from 71 to 95 square metres, £90 up to 110 and from £95 for larger homes. Confirmed in writing before you book. How EPC prices compare across London.
Common questions
Do I need an HMO licence in Barnet?
If three or more people in two or more households share the home, yes: Barnet’s additional licensing covers the whole borough, and five or more people sharing basic facilities need a mandatory licence.
How much is an HMO licence in Barnet?
From 1 January 2026, £1,872 for up to five units of accommodation for five years, paid as £1,061 and £811, plus £37 for each extra unit. Accredited landlords get 10% off the first fee.
Is there selective licensing in Barnet?
Barnet’s fee list from 1 January 2026 includes a selective licence for Burnt Oak, Colindale North and Colindale South at £774, “following designation”. Check with the council whether it applies to your address before you let.
What happens if a Barnet property should be licensed but isn’t?
It is an offence that can bring an unlimited fine on conviction or a civil penalty of up to £30,000, and tenants may be able to claim back up to 12 months’ rent.
How much is an EPC in Barnet?
From £69 for a home of up to 52 square metres, which covers most one-bedroom flats, £85 for 71 to 95 square metres and £90 for 96 to 110, rising with floor area. There is no travel surcharge anywhere in Greater London.
Nearby
Next door: Enfield, Haringey, Camden, Brent and Harrow. I cover every London borough.