Brent Council called the figures “concerning” but pointed to the borough having one of the highest numbers of HMOs across the capital
Brent and Ealing are seeing significantly more fires breaking out in HMOs than any other London boroughs.
Houses of multiple occupation (HMOs) are a topic of continuous debate in London due to the higher prevalence of antisocial behaviour in some properties, while they are also seen as vital to ensuring the city remains affordable and has the right mix of homes.
New figures released by the London Assembly show the number of incidents the London Fire Brigade (LFB) has responded to over the past 19 months, with Brent seeing the highest number followed closely by Ealing.
There are an estimated 17,000 HMOs in Brent, which the council has said is one of the highest numbers in London. The latest figures show that, between January 2025 and July 2026, there were 31 fires from these types of properties that required the fire department to attend.
It should be noted that, as HMOs are not recorded as a standalone category within LFB’s incident recording systems, it is difficult to provide exact figures, according to the London Assembly. Therefore, the data represents the closest available estimate of fires occurring in premises that may be classified as such.
Earlier this year, Brent Council introduced a new licensing scheme for smaller HMOs with fewer than five tenants to go alongside the existing requirement for all larger HMO landlords to be licensed due to evidence that a significant number of this type of housing was substandard and potentially dangerous. The local authority has described the latest figures as “concerning”.
Last year, Brent inspected and assessed more than 5,000 properties as part of its work to improve standards across the borough’s private housing stock.
Meanwhile Ealing saw 29 LFB responses to fires over the 19-month period. The next boroughs on the list are Croydon, Haringey, and Hillingdon which each had 20. Croydon is another local authority that’s introduced stricter planning and licensing rules for HMOs, with a new licensing scheme coming into effect next month.
The South London borough has seen an increase in applications for HMOs, with 405 new applications processed between 2021 and 2025. Although in that same period they rejected 266 of those, making them one of the toughest local authorities in the country to get an HMO application approved.
Data from Planning Lens’s ‘The HMO Squeeze’ report revealed that Brent is one of five London local authorities taking a tougher stance on the conversion of homes into HMOs – alongside Croydon, Waltham Forest, Barnet, and Haringey – by refusing more than half of their applications. Despite this and the introduction of the borough’s licensing scheme, Brent Council has said that a “significant number” of HMOs still pose a risk to residents.
In March, a landlord in Wembley was ordered to pay more than £90,000 after they were found to have crammed 18 people into an illegal HMO. The property, which Brent Council described as a “dangerously overcrowded fire hazard”, had no working fire alarms.
Brent Council told the Local Democracy Reporting Service (LDRS) that it prioritises “larger and higher-risk” HMOs for inspection and, where concerns are identified, landlords are required to carry out the necessary remedial works and the local authority “will take enforcement action where appropriate”.
A spokesperson said: “These figures are concerning and we recognise the seriousness of any fire in someone’s home. The safety of Brent residents is our priority, and we are committed to doing everything we can to ensure people living in houses of multiple occupation have safe and properly managed homes.
“Brent has one of the highest numbers of HMOs in London, which is an important context when comparing the number of incidents between boroughs. However, we are not complacent about these figures and will continue working with landlords and taking robust enforcement action where the required safety standards are not being met.
“Last year alone, we inspected and assessed more than 5,000 licensed properties as part of our proactive work to improve housing standards, identify potential risks and keep residents safe. We will continue to use our inspection and enforcement powers to drive up standards across the borough and reduce the risks faced by residents living in HMOs.”
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