HMO licensing London
HMO licensing assistance for London landlords
Getting your HMO licence requires more than filling in an application form — your property must meet a specific set of physical standards before the local authority will grant a licence. Prestige Engineers carries out the full HMO compliance audit, installs any missing safety equipment, provides all required certificates and supports your application across all 33 London boroughs.
Definition and licensing thresholds
What is an HMO — and does yours need a licence?
A House in Multiple Occupation (HMO) is a property rented out by three or more people who are not all from the same household — in other words, not a single family unit — and who share a kitchen, bathroom or toilet. The threshold for HMO status is low: a three-bedroom property let to three unrelated sharers qualifies as an HMO under the Housing Act 2004, even where each occupant has their own bedroom and the property is otherwise unremarkable.
Whether your HMO requires a licence is a separate question with a more complex answer. The national mandatory licensing scheme under the Housing Act 2004, as amended in 2018, applies to HMOs with five or more people forming two or more households in a property of two or more storeys. If your property meets all three of these criteria, a mandatory HMO licence from your local authority is a legal requirement with no exceptions.
However, mandatory licensing is not the complete picture — particularly in London. Many London boroughs have introduced their own additional licensing schemes that apply to smaller HMOs falling below the national mandatory threshold. Some boroughs license all HMOs regardless of size or storey count. Others have gone further with selective licensing, requiring a licence for all privately rented properties in designated areas whether or not they are technically HMOs. If your property is in London, you must check with your specific borough to understand your current licensing obligations before tenants move in.
Mandatory licensing (national)
5+ people, 2+ households, 2+ storeys
Applies across England. No exceptions — if your property meets all three criteria, you must hold a licence from your local authority. Applies regardless of borough.
Additional licensing (London boroughs)
Often 3–4 people, or all HMOs
Set independently by each borough. Many London boroughs license all HMOs regardless of size or storey count. Schemes are introduced and renewed periodically — always check directly with your borough.
Selective licensing
Covers all private rented properties in designated areas
Some London boroughs — including Newham — have introduced borough-wide or area-specific selective licensing covering all private rented properties, not just HMOs. Single-let landlords must check too.
Borough-level schemes
London boroughs with additional HMO licensing
The following London boroughs have operated additional or selective HMO licensing schemes that extend beyond the national mandatory threshold. Schemes are introduced, extended and renewed periodically — the position in any given borough can change. Always verify current requirements directly with your borough council before applying, and before entering into a new tenancy agreement.
Some boroughs — notably Newham and Waltham Forest — have introduced borough-wide selective licensing that covers all private rented properties in designated areas, not only HMOs. If you let property in inner London in particular, the probability that your property falls under some form of licensing scheme is very high. Checking the licensing position before a tenancy starts costs nothing; being caught unlicensed carries penalties of up to £30,000 per property.
Prestige Engineers works with landlords across all 33 London boroughs. Once you have confirmed your licensing obligations with your local authority, we carry out the compliance audit and install everything required so your property is ready for the council inspection. We are familiar with the specific conditions and inspection expectations of London boroughs from Barnet in the north to Croydon in the south.
Physical standards
HMO licence conditions: what your property must have
Before your local authority grants an HMO licence, an environmental health officer will inspect the property to confirm it meets the required physical standards. The following are the core requirements that apply across most London borough HMO licensing schemes. Some boroughs impose additional conditions — your specific licence will list them.
Annual gas safety certificate (CP12)
Legally required under the Gas Safety (Installation and Use) Regulations 1998. All gas appliances including boilers, hobs and any communal gas equipment must be inspected annually by a Gas Safe registered engineer. The CP12 certificate must be provided to each tenant within 28 days of issue and to the local authority on request.
EICR — Electrical Installation Condition Report
Required at intervals not exceeding 5 years under the Electrical Safety Standards in the Private Rented Sector (England) Regulations 2020. Many London borough HMO licences specify a shorter interval — often 3 years. The report must be carried out by a qualified electrician and any Category 1 or Category 2 defects must be remediated within 28 days.
Fire risk assessment (RRO 2005)
A written fire risk assessment is mandatory for licensed HMOs under the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005. It must be carried out by a competent person and reviewed whenever material changes are made to the property, its use or its occupancy. Most London borough licensing conditions require a current assessment not more than 12 months old.
Interlinked smoke alarms — Grade D, LD2
Mains-wired interlinked smoke alarms on every floor, in all living rooms and on all escape routes — with battery backup (Grade D LD2 as a minimum, LD1 for larger properties). Heat detectors in kitchens. All alarms interlinked: activation of any single device triggers every alarm in the property. Required under the Smoke and Carbon Monoxide Alarm (Amendment) Regulations 2022.
Carbon monoxide alarms
CO alarms required in every room containing a gas, oil or solid fuel appliance — including boiler cupboards — under the Smoke and Carbon Monoxide Alarm (Amendment) Regulations 2022. Alarms must be in working order at the start of each tenancy. Landlords are responsible for replacing faulty alarms promptly on notification.
Emergency lighting in common areas
Larger HMOs — typically those with 5 or more letting rooms, or where the fire risk assessment identifies a need — require self-contained emergency lighting units on escape routes, stairwells and communal areas. Emergency lighting must be tested regularly and the test records retained.
Fire doors — FD30S with self-closers
FD30S fire doors — 30-minute fire and smoke resistant — are required on all HMO bedroom doors, kitchen doors and any door opening onto a common escape route. Doors must carry intumescent strips and smoke seals in the rebate, and be fitted with a self-closing device that reliably returns the door to closed without assistance. Non-closing fire doors provide no protection.
Fire extinguishers
Typically one water or foam extinguisher per floor in communal areas, and a CO2 extinguisher near any electrical panels. The specific type and number required depends on the HMO layout and the findings of the fire risk assessment. All extinguishers must be serviced annually and accessible at all times.
Minimum room sizes (statutory)
Since October 2018, minimum bedroom sizes are statutory: 6.51 m² for a single adult, 10.22 m² for two adults. Rooms smaller than 4.64 m² cannot be used as sleeping accommodation. The licence must specify the maximum number of permitted occupants per room. Local authorities can require landlords to reduce occupancy or carry out works where rooms do not comply.
Adequate kitchen and bathroom facilities
The number of kitchens and bathrooms must be adequate for the number of occupants. Most London borough licensing schemes specify ratios — for example, one bathroom per five occupants and one kitchen per seven occupants as a general guide. Properties with high occupancy relative to facilities will receive a licence condition requiring additional provision.
Important note on variation
Specific requirements vary between London boroughs and between individual licences based on the size, layout, storey count and risk profile of each property. The list above covers the most common conditions. Your licence will specify the exact requirements — Prestige Engineers carries out a detailed audit against your specific licence conditions, not a generic checklist.
Fire safety in detail
Fire doors, alarms and smoke detection in London HMOs
FD30S fire doors — 30-minute fire and smoke resistant — are required on all HMO bedroom doors and on any door opening onto a common escape route, including kitchen and bathroom doors in most configurations. The S designation means the door carries smoke sealing, which prevents smoke from entering the escape route during the critical first minutes of a fire before the building fills.
Every compliant FD30S door requires three components working together: the certified door leaf, the intumescent strip and smoke seal fitted into the door rebate (which expands under heat to seal the gap around the door), and a self-closing device that reliably returns the door to the fully closed position without assistance. A door that is wedged open, that does not close under its own weight, or that has a gap wider than 3mm around its perimeter provides no useful fire or smoke resistance.
London's vast stock of Victorian and Edwardian terraced conversions poses a particular challenge. Original door frames in these buildings are rarely square, door openings are non-standard sizes, and historic pine panel doors — however solid they appear — are not fire-rated. When HMO bedrooms are on upper floors accessed by a single staircase, a non-compliant bedroom fire door is the only barrier between a sleeping occupant and a fire below. Our engineers supply and fit certified FD30S door sets throughout London.
Interlinked smoke detection under the Smoke and Carbon Monoxide Alarm (Amendment) Regulations 2022 requires mains-wired alarms with battery backup (Grade D) on every storey, covering all habitable rooms and escape routes. Interlinked means that when one alarm activates, every alarm in the property sounds — giving occupants on upper floors maximum warning time if a fire starts at ground level.
Heat detectors — not smoke detectors — are required in kitchens, because smoke detectors in kitchens produce excessive false alarms from cooking. The heat detector must still be interlinked with the rest of the system. A common failing on London HMO inspections is smoke detectors fitted in kitchens instead of heat detectors, or a system where individual room alarms are not interlinked to the rest of the building.
Carbon monoxide alarms are required in every room containing a gas, oil or solid fuel burning appliance. In most London HMOs this means the boiler cupboard and the kitchen — and in properties where gas fires are still fitted to bedroom fireplaces, those rooms too. CO alarms must be in working order at the start of each new tenancy, and landlords are required to replace faulty alarms on notification by the tenant.
Statutory minimum room sizes
HMO bedroom size requirements in England
Since 1 October 2018, minimum bedroom sizes in licensed HMOs are statutory in England under the Licensing of Houses in Multiple Occupation (Mandatory Conditions of Licences) (England) Regulations 2018. These minimums are not guidance — they are a mandatory condition that must be included on every HMO licence, and breach is an offence.
The statutory minimums are: 6.51 m² for a room used by one person aged 10 or over as sleeping accommodation; 10.22 m² for a room used by two people aged 10 or over; and 4.64 m² for a room used by a child under 10. Rooms smaller than 4.64 m² cannot be used as sleeping accommodation at all and the licence must specify this restriction.
Where a local authority finds that a room in an existing licensed HMO does not meet the minimum size, it must serve a notice on the landlord requiring either a reduction in the number of occupants permitted to use that room or structural works to bring the room up to the required size. This can reduce the income-generating capacity of the property without any prior warning if the landlord has not measured rooms before applying.
Single bedroom (1 adult)
6.51 m²
Minimum for one person aged 10 or over. A room measuring less than this cannot legally be let as a single occupancy bedroom in a licensed HMO.
Double / twin bedroom (2 adults)
10.22 m²
Minimum for two people aged 10 or over. Rooms between 6.51 m² and 10.22 m² can only be occupied by one adult.
Child under 10 only
4.64 m²
Rooms smaller than 4.64 m² cannot be used as sleeping accommodation by anyone. A room between 4.64 m² and 6.51 m² can only be occupied by one child under 10.
Application process
How the HMO licence application works
Applications are made to the local authority for the borough where the property is located. Most London councils now accept applications online through their licensing portal, though some require physical submission of supporting documents or a separate payment process.
You will need to submit personal details for the licence holder and manager (if different), details of all proposed occupants, and a range of supporting documents. These typically include the gas safety certificate, EICR, fire risk assessment, a floor plan with room sizes marked, and evidence that all required physical standards are in place. An incomplete submission will delay processing.
The licence fee is paid at the point of application and is non-refundable. Across London boroughs, fees typically range from £500 to £2,000 per HMO for a standard 5-year licence. Some boroughs apply a two-part fee — one on application and a second on grant. Some offer discounts for members of accredited landlord schemes such as the London Landlord Accreditation Scheme.
Following submission, the council will arrange an inspection. If the property does not meet the required standards at the time of inspection, the council may grant a conditional licence with a schedule of works required within a specified timeframe, or refuse the application outright. Having all compliance works completed before the inspection significantly reduces the risk of conditional licensing or refusal, and demonstrates to the officer that the landlord takes their obligations seriously.
Step 1
Complete compliance works
Ensure all physical requirements are in place before submitting your application. A property that passes inspection at first visit avoids conditional licences and delays.
Step 2
Submit application with certificates
Apply to your borough council with gas safety certificate, EICR, fire risk assessment, floor plan and all supporting documentation. Pay the licence fee (£500–£2,000) at submission.
Step 3
Council inspection
An environmental health officer inspects the property. A complete and compliant property typically receives a licence grant within 6–12 weeks of submission.
Step 4
Licence granted — typically 5 years
HMO licences are valid for up to 5 years. Renew before expiry — councils actively pursue landlords whose licences have lapsed. An expired licence carries the same penalties as no licence.
Consequences of non-compliance
The cost of operating an unlicensed HMO
Operating a licensable HMO without a licence is a criminal offence under the Housing Act 2004. London local authorities actively enforce HMO licensing — penalties are substantial and multiple consequences can stack on top of each other.
£30,000
Civil financial penalty
Local authorities can impose a civil penalty of up to £30,000 per offence without going to court. Multiple breaches at the same property — for example, unlicensed and breaching a previous condition — can result in multiple penalties stacking.
12 months
Rent Repayment Order
Tenants can apply to the First-tier Tribunal for a Rent Repayment Order. The tribunal can require repayment of up to 12 months of rent paid during the unlicensed period. Applications can be made years after the tenancy ends.
Banning order
Banned from letting property
Repeat or serious offenders can be placed on the Rogue Landlord Database and made subject to a banning order prohibiting them from letting residential property anywhere in England.
Section 21 is blocked for unlicensed HMOs
A landlord cannot serve a valid Section 21 notice to end a tenancy while the property is unlicensed. Even if a licence is subsequently obtained, a Section 21 served while unlicensed is invalid — the landlord must obtain the licence and then re-serve. In addition, a pending Rent Repayment Order application can prevent possession proceedings advancing. Landlords who want to retain the ability to regain possession under Section 21 (while it remains available) must ensure they are licensed before any tenancy is entered into.
What we do
Our HMO licensing compliance service
Prestige Engineers provides a complete HMO compliance service — from initial audit through to installation of all required safety equipment, provision of certificates and support with the licence application. We cover all London boroughs with our own Gas Safe registered engineers, qualified electricians and fire safety specialists.
01
HMO compliance audit
We carry out a full walkthrough of your property against the HMO licence conditions checklist — identifying every item that is missing or non-compliant before your local authority inspection. You receive a written audit report.
02
Certificates and safety checks
We carry out the gas safety certificate (CP12), EICR and fire risk assessment in a coordinated sequence — reducing tenant disruption and providing you with all required certificates under one instruction.
03
Installation works
Our engineers install any missing items identified in the audit: interlinked smoke and heat alarm systems, CO alarms, fire doors with intumescent strips and self-closers, emergency lighting and fire extinguishers.
04
Licence application support
We provide a written schedule of all compliance works completed, with supporting certificates, to help you present a complete application to your local authority and pass the council inspection first time.
Indicative costs — London 2025
HMO compliance costs in London
The cost of compliance depends on the current state of the property and which items are already in place. The following gives indicative pricing for our London HMO compliance services. Fixed quotes are provided after the audit — there are no surprises.
Compliance audit
£200–£400
Full walkthrough audit against your specific HMO licence conditions. Written report of every required item — missing, non-compliant or requiring certificate renewal. Covers properties across all London boroughs.
Certificate package
From £600
Gas safety certificate (CP12), EICR and fire risk assessment combined. Coordinated visits — reducing tenant disruption and cost versus booking each separately. All three certificates provided.
Full compliance package
From £800+
Audit, all certificates, plus supply and installation of interlinked alarm system, CO alarms, fire doors with self-closers, and any other items identified in the audit. Fixed quote after audit based on actual scope.
The HMO licence fee payable directly to your local authority (typically £500–£2,000 depending on borough) is not included in the above figures. All pricing is indicative for London properties in 2025. Contact us with your property address, borough and number of letting rooms for a fixed quote.
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HMO compliance works across all London boroughs
Common questions
HMO licensing: frequently asked questions
Does my 3-bed London rental need an HMO licence?
It depends on your borough. The national mandatory licensing scheme applies to properties with 5 or more people forming 2 or more households in a building of 2 or more storeys. However, many London boroughs operate additional licensing schemes with lower thresholds — some apply to 3-person or 4-person HMOs regardless of the number of storeys. Boroughs with additional schemes include Southwark, Newham, Croydon, Haringey, Enfield, Waltham Forest, Lambeth, Tower Hamlets, Barnet, Brent, Ealing, Hackney, Islington, Lewisham and Redbridge, among others. You must check with your specific borough council to confirm whether your property requires a licence before tenants move in.
What are the HMO room size requirements?
Since October 2018, minimum bedroom sizes are statutory for licensed HMOs in England under the Licensing of Houses in Multiple Occupation (Mandatory Conditions of Licences) (England) Regulations 2018. A room used by one adult as sleeping accommodation must be at least 6.51 m². A room used by two adults must be at least 10.22 m². Rooms smaller than 4.64 m² cannot be used as sleeping accommodation at all. Local authorities must impose a condition on each HMO licence specifying the maximum number of persons permitted to sleep in each room. Landlords who allow rooms to be occupied in breach of these minimums can be required to reduce occupancy or carry out works, and may face civil penalties.
How much does an HMO licence cost in London?
The licence application fee is set by each local authority and varies significantly across London. Fees typically range from around £500 to £2,000 per HMO for a 5-year licence. Some boroughs apply a two-part fee structure — one payment on application and a second on grant of the licence. Some also offer reduced fees for landlords who are members of accredited landlord schemes. The licence fee is separate from the cost of any compliance works required to meet the licence conditions — those are the landlord's responsibility and must be completed before or shortly after the licence is granted.
What happens if I operate an unlicensed HMO?
Operating an HMO that requires a licence without holding one is a criminal offence under the Housing Act 2004. Local authorities can impose a civil financial penalty of up to £30,000 per offence without going to court. In addition, tenants can apply to the First-tier Tribunal for a Rent Repayment Order, requiring the landlord to repay up to 12 months of rent paid during the unlicensed period. Repeat or serious offenders can face a Banning Order preventing them from letting residential property. A landlord cannot serve a valid Section 21 notice to end a tenancy while the property is unlicensed — meaning you lose the ability to regain possession through the no-fault route for the duration of the unlicensed period.
Can tenants apply for a rent repayment order against an unlicensed HMO?
Yes. Under the Housing and Planning Act 2016, tenants living in a property that requires an HMO licence but does not have one can apply to the First-tier Tribunal (Property Chamber) for a Rent Repayment Order. The tribunal can order the landlord to repay up to 12 months of rent paid during the period the property was unlicensed. The application can be made by individual tenants or by multiple tenants jointly. Local authorities can also apply for a Rent Repayment Order and retain the recovered sum. Awareness of Rent Repayment Orders among London tenants has grown substantially — landlords operating unlicensed HMOs face a very real risk of claims years after the fact.
Get started
Book your HMO compliance audit
Send us your property address and borough and we will confirm the licensing requirements and arrange a compliance audit at a time convenient for you and your tenants. Same-week availability across London.