I am an accredited domestic energy assessor, and I cover the whole London Borough of Hackney: Dalston, Hackney Central and London Fields (E8), Homerton, Hackney Wick and South Hackney (E9), Upper and Lower Clapton (E5), Stoke Newington and Stamford Hill (N16), and De Beauvoir Town, Haggerston and Hoxton on the N1 and E2 side. Hackney is part of my home ground in east London, a short drive from my base in Manor Park, so same-day and next-day visits are usually possible — see same-day and next-day EPCs. There is no travel surcharge anywhere inside Greater London.
| Households (2021 census) | 106,081 |
|---|---|
| Rented privately | 32.2% (London 30.0%) |
| Owned outright or with a mortgage | 24.6% (London 45.2%) |
| Social rented | 40.5% (London 23.1%) |
| Households living in a flat | 80.9% (London 54.0%) |
| …of which in a converted house | 15.5% of all households (London 11.1%) |
| Households in a house | 18.8% (London 45.9%) |
| Typical (median) EPC score | 73, band C (London 70) |
| Homes with an EPC rated C or above | 68% (London 58%) |
| Selective licence (one household or up to two sharers) | 17 of 21 wards; £925 (£555 + £370) |
| HMO licence (3 or more people from 2 or more households) | Whole borough; £1,400 (£840 + £560) |
| EPC discount on the licence | £100 off part B for B or above; £50 off part B for C |
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: Hackney Council’s “Check which property licence you need” and “Apply for a property licence” 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.
Do I need a licence to rent out a home in Hackney?
Probably, and the rules are new. Hackney Council approved licensing for most of the borough’s private rented homes in November 2025 and began processing applications on 1 May 2026. Which licence you need depends on who lives there:
- Selective licence, £925. A home let to one household, a single tenant or two people sharing, in 17 of the borough’s 21 wards: Brownswood, Cazenove, Clissold, Dalston, De Beauvoir, Hackney Central, Hackney Downs, Hackney Wick, Homerton, King’s Park, Lea Bridge, London Fields, Shacklewell, Springfield, Stamford Hill West, Stoke Newington and Victoria. The council puts that at 76% of Hackney’s privately rented homes.
- Additional HMO licence, £1,400. Three or four people from two or more households sharing a kitchen or bathroom, anywhere in the borough — houses, flats in converted houses and flats in purpose-built blocks alike.
- Mandatory HMO licence, £1,400. Five or more people from two or more households sharing facilities.
You pay in two parts: part A when you apply, part B once the licence is approved. If a home falls short of the licence conditions, the council can revoke the licence, issue a civil penalty of up to £30,000 per offence or prosecute.
Where the EPC and a floor plan come in
Hackney links the licence fee to the energy rating. An EPC of B or above takes £100 off part B, and a C takes £50 off, so a selective licence for a home rated B comes to £825 instead of £925. Accredited landlords can also take £100 off part B.
The application asks for a gas safety certificate and details of the property’s type, layout, features and fire safety. The council adds that you can help it avoid delays by sending floor plans of the entire property, along with the electrical report (EICR) and the tenancy agreement. A laser-measured floor plan shows every room with its dimensions and the total floor area, so booking the EPC and floor plan together, from £123, covers both in a single visit.
Whatever the licence, most privately rented homes must have an EPC 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 its own certificate. Checked on the council’s property licensing pages on 22 October 2026; fees change, so check there before you apply.
What the assessment looks at in a Hackney home
How homes in Hackney 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 73, band C, against 70 across London, and 68% of those homes are rated C or above (London 58%). Homes built before 1929 have a median of 67, against 84 for homes built since 2012; flats and maisonettes come out at 74, terraced houses at 66. How every London borough compares.
Four in five Hackney households live in a flat (80.9%, against 54.0% across London), so most EPCs here are for flats — but Hackney’s flats come in three very different kinds.
Georgian and Victorian houses, many split into flats
Conservation areas protect large stretches of Georgian and Victorian housing here, from De Beauvoir Town, a conservation area since 1969, to Clapton Square, and terraces of that age still line the streets of South Hackney near Victoria Park and around Chatsworth Road in Clapton. Many have been divided: 15.5% of Hackney households live in a converted house, against 11.1% across London. Walls of that age are usually solid brick, and without evidence of insulation the assessment has to treat them as built. In a converted flat, what lies above and below counts as much as the walls — a top-floor flat loses heat through the roof, a ground-floor flat through the floor — so any paperwork for loft or floor insulation is worth finding before the visit. In a conservation area, changes to the outside of a building can need planning permission, which is worth knowing before you plan improvements.
Estates and purpose-built blocks
Most Hackney flats are purpose-built (60.4% of households): interwar council estates such as Kingsmead and Morningside, post-war blocks, and in Dalston large estates now joined by newly built developments. In a purpose-built flat the heating often decides the result, so it helps to know whether the flat has its own boiler or shares a communal system, and to have access to the boiler or its latest service record.
Warehouse conversions and new-build flats
3.4% of Hackney households live in a converted building other than a house — a former warehouse, school or church, for example — close to three times the London share of 1.2%. Warehouses have been turned into homes as the borough has grown, with new blocks alongside them. No two conversions are built alike, so walls, windows and floor area are recorded as found rather than assumed. A flat finished in the last ten years probably already has an EPC from when it was built — check whether yours is still valid before booking a new one.
Selling a home in Hackney
Only about a quarter of Hackney households own their home (24.6%, against 45.2% across London). If yours is one of them and you are selling, an EPC must be ordered before the home goes on the market — the sellers’ guide covers the timing and whether the certificate you already have will do.
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 a typical one-bedroom flat, and £75 for two bedrooms. They are the same anywhere in London, confirmed in writing before you book and paid after the visit. How EPC prices compare across London.
Common questions
Do I need a licence to rent out my flat in Hackney?
Most likely. A home let to one household, a single tenant or two sharers needs a selective licence (£925) if it is in one of the 17 selective licensing wards. Three or four sharers from two or more households need an additional HMO licence anywhere in the borough, and five or more a mandatory HMO licence; both cost £1,400. Check the ward on the council’s website before you apply.
Does a good EPC reduce the Hackney licence fee?
Yes. An EPC rated B or above takes £100 off part B of the fee, and a C takes £50 off. Accredited landlords can also get £100 off part B.
Does Hackney want a floor plan with the licence application?
It is not on the list of things you must send, but the council says floor plans of the entire property, the electrical report and the tenancy agreement help it avoid delays. An EPC and a floor plan can be done together in one visit, from £123.
How much is an EPC in Hackney?
From £69 for a home of up to 52 square metres, which covers a typical one-bedroom flat, and £75 for two bedrooms, rising with floor area. The prices are the same anywhere in London, with no travel surcharge, and are confirmed in writing before you book.
How quickly can I get an EPC in Hackney?
Same-day and next-day visits are usually available. The certificate is lodged on the government register within 72 hours of the visit as standard, or on the day of the visit for £10 more; a next-day visit with it lodged that day is £20 more, and a same-day visit booked before 3pm £25 more.
Nearby
Next door: Islington, Haringey, Tower Hamlets and the City of London, with Walthamstow to the north-east and Newham to the east. I cover every London borough.