Property licensing for landlords and letting agents

There are 3 property licensing schemes in H&F. Read the descriptions below to find out which one you need.

Selective licences

You will need a selective licence for your rented property if:

the property is on a street with selective licensing

Additional licences

This is a discretionary scheme that the council has adopted to help to deal with the problems associated with HMOs that are not already covered by mandatory licensing.

You will need an additional licence for your rented property if:

3 or 4 people live there
in 2 or more households

Mandatory HMO licences

You will need a mandatory house in multiple occupation (HMO) licence for your rented property if:

5 or more people live there
in 2 or more households

You will also need planning permission if there are 7 or more people living in your HMO.

Under planning rules, large HMOs are properties occupied by more than 6 unrelated individuals who share basic amenities such as a kitchen or bathroom facilities. They are classified as ‘sui generis’ (a use like no other) and always require planning permission. A change of use for your property will be needed from class C3 to sui generis.

You must apply for planning permission separately from applying for an HMO licence.

Find out more about use classes and change.

If you have any queries or need help please see frequently asked questions or contact us

020 8753 1703
phs@lbhf.gov.uk

Apply for a licence

Applications for a property licence can only be made online.

Apply for a property licence

The type of licence you need will be determined by the answers you give on the application form

Mandatory, additional and selective licensing FAQs

To find out more, visit frequently asked questions about mandatory, additional and selective licensing.

Licence fee

If the property requires a Mandatory HMO Licence, the fee depends on the number of bedrooms. In 2020/21 the fee is £1,215 for a 5 bedroom HMO plus £13.10 for each additional bedroom

For an Additional HMO or Selective Licence the fee is £555

There is a discount of £80 if you are a member of an accredited landlord body such as the National and Residential Landlords’ Associations or London Landlord Accreditation Scheme or a discount of £50 if you have signed up to the landlord rental charter as part of the application process. Only one discount is applied per licence

The licence fee is in two parts - Part 1 – to cover the costs of processing the application; and Part 2 – to cover the costs of managing and enforcing the scheme. For Mandatory HMO licences the split of fees is Part 1 25% and Part 2 75%; for Additional HMO and Selective Licences the split of fees is 50/50%. If an application is processed but the licence is not granted, the Part 2 fee can be refunded to the applicant.

Standards

HMOs must meet the following minimum standards for amenities and the way they are managed and the licence conditions.

Houses and flats in Selective Licensing streets must meet the following minimum standards for the way they are managed, used and occupied and the licence conditions.

The council amended and simplified the standards and conditions in April 2020.

Register of licences

Download an extract of the register:

H&F HMO Register of Mandatory and Additional Licences (xls 57KB)

If you wish to arrange a viewing of the full register or to request certified copies of it as per your right to do so under the Housing Act 2004, please email phs@lbhf.gov.uk. The required fee for a copy of the register is £54, although there is no charge made to view the register, providing no attempt is made to copy it.