HMO Additional Licensing London — Borough-by-Borough 2026

As of June 2026, borough-wide additional schemes operate in Newham, Waltham Forest, Hackney, Brent, Croydon, Tower Hamlets, Lewisham, Lambeth, Islington, Ealing and Camden. Havering brought a designated additional scheme live in March 2026; Hillingdon's scheme is due in August 2026. Designated-ward additional schemes operate in Barnet, Harrow, Kingston, Merton, Wandsworth, Richmond and Enfield. Always confirm against the council site.

Mandatory licensing applies England-wide where the property houses 5+ persons forming 2+ households. Additional licensing is council-discretionary, declared under Section 56 of the Housing Act 2004, and typically captures smaller HMOs (3+ or 4+ persons) or HMOs concentrated in a particular ward. The application is to the same council via the same portal; only the threshold and the scheme designation differ.

Newham and Waltham Forest set the lowest London thresholds at 3 persons forming 2 or more households. Most other boroughs (Hackney, Brent, Croydon, Lambeth) cover any HMO not captured by mandatory licensing — typically 3 or 4 persons in 2+ households. The lower the threshold, the more single-flat shares and 3-bed maisonette lets fall into scope.

Most councils target 8–12 weeks from a complete application. Newham routinely meets 8 weeks. Waltham Forest, Croydon and Brent meet 10–12 weeks for clean files. Designated-ward councils (Barnet, Harrow, Wandsworth) target 12 weeks. Applications with missing certificates or wrong-format EICR/FRA stall at admin stage — front-loading the evidence pack is the simplest way to keep processing tight.

Identical to mandatory: a satisfactory EICR less than 5 years old, a BS 5839-6 Grade D1 LD2 interlinked smoke and heat alarm certificate, a written Fire Risk Assessment under the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005, a current CP12 gas safety cert, a current EPC, a Schedule 4 room-size schedule, an annotated floor plan, and a written management plan to the council's format.

Application fees vary widely. Newham, Waltham Forest and Brent sit at £700–£1,100 per property. Hackney, Croydon, Tower Hamlets, Lambeth, Lewisham sit at £600–£950. Designated-ward additional schemes typically come in at £500–£800. Fees are non-refundable on rejection. Some councils offer multi-property discounts where one landlord applies for 5+ properties under the same scheme.

No — if the property is in scope and the scheme is live, the licence is mandatory under Part 2 of the Housing Act 2004. Operating without one is a criminal offence with a civil penalty alternative of up to £30,000 per breach. Tenants can also apply for a Rent Repayment Order under Section 40 of the Housing and Planning Act 2016 recovering up to 12 months of rent paid.

Where the property falls inside both a selective area and an additional HMO scheme, the higher scheme licence covers the property — you apply under additional, not both. Some councils still take a separate selective-licensing fee on top, even where the property is captured by additional. We add a £150 supplement to the £400 fee to handle the dual application where required.

No — an additional HMO licence is not transferable between owners. The new owner must apply for a fresh licence in their own name, typically within 28 days of completion. Several councils run a streamlined transfer-style application where the existing certificates carry over if in date. Sellers should confirm at exchange that the buyer is aware of the borough scheme and the fresh application cost.

A council scheme runs for up to 5 years before requiring renewal under Section 60 of the Housing Act 2004. The council runs a fresh public consultation and re-designates the scheme. Existing licence holders typically receive a renewal notice 6 months before expiry. We hold your renewal date and submit the fresh application 90 days out so the property never lapses into unlicensed status.