Brent Licence Documents Required: What to Upload Before You Apply

Why Documents Matter Before the Portal

Brent's online licensing portal does not save incomplete applications gracefully. If you get halfway through and realise a certificate is missing or expired, you either abandon the session or scramble to arrange an inspection while the form times out. Assemble and verify every document before you log in.

Gas Safety Certificate

Required for: all licence types (selective, additional HMO, mandatory HMO)

A Gas Safe registered engineer must inspect all gas appliances and flues in the property annually. The certificate must be current on the date you submit the application. Upload a digital copy — the portal accepts PDF and common image formats.

Once the licence is granted, you must continue annual checks throughout the licence term. A copy must be served on tenants within 28 days of each inspection and supplied to the council within 7 days if they ask.

Electrical Installation Condition Report (EICR)

Required for: all licence types

The EICR must be issued by a qualified electrical engineer and carry a satisfactory outcome. It is valid for five years. If the report flags any C1 (danger present) or C2 (potentially dangerous) codes, those must be remediated before the certificate qualifies.

Brent Council can demand a copy within 7 days of a written request during the licence term.

Energy Performance Certificate (EPC)

Required for: all licence types

The property must hold an EPC rated A to E. An F or G rating means the property fails the Minimum Energy Efficiency Standards, and you cannot let it unless a valid exemption is registered on the national PRS Exemptions Register. EPCs are valid for 10 years.

Floor Plans (HMO Applications)

Required for: additional HMO and mandatory HMO applications

You must upload scaled drawings showing:

• Room uses (bedroom, kitchen, bathroom, living room)
• Net floor area of each room in square metres
• Ceiling heights
• Fire escape routes
• Locations of amenities (kitchens, bathrooms, toilets)

Room measurements directly determine whether bedrooms meet statutory minimum sizes: 6.51 m² for one person over 10, 10.22 m² for two people over 10, 4.64 m² for one child under 10. Any room under 4.64 m² cannot be used as sleeping accommodation. Floor area where the ceiling height drops below 1.5 metres is excluded from the usable space calculation.

Selective licence applications do not require floor plans, but the council may request them during an inspection.

Fire Safety Documentation (HMO Applications)

Required for: additional HMO and mandatory HMO applications

Upload a written Fire Risk Assessment compliant with the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005. The property must have working smoke alarms on every storey and carbon monoxide alarms in rooms with solid fuel or gas appliances.

Fit-and-Proper Declarations

Required for: all licence types

These are completed within the portal, not uploaded as documents. The proposed licence holder, managing agent and any associated persons must declare:

• Unspent criminal convictions for fraud, dishonesty, violence, drugs or sexual offences
• Civil discrimination findings
• Historic housing law breaches or previous licence refusals
• Bankruptcy or corporate insolvency history

The council retains the right to request supporting evidence, including DBS checks, during risk profiling.

Interested-Party Notice

Required for: all licence types

Before or on the submission date, serve written notice on the freeholder, any mortgage lender, joint owners and managing agents. The portal asks you to certify this has been done. Keep a dated copy of each notice in case the council queries it later.

For a printable pre-flight document checklist with validity periods and formatting notes, see our Brent Landlord Licensing Guide.

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