Camden HMO Licence Fees and Discounts 2026: Full Breakdown

Camden's HMO licence fees increased on 15 January 2026, and the two-part payment structure catches landlords off guard if they're expecting a single upfront cost. Here's exactly what you'll pay, how discounts work, and what happens if you need a refund.

Current Fees (2026/27 Schedule)

Camden splits licence fees into two stages, following the Hemming v Westminster principle that council fees can only recover actual costs:

Part 1 — Processing fee: £1,318. Paid at the point of application through the online portal by credit or debit card. This covers document validation, portal maintenance, initial property assessments and administrative processing.

Part 2 — Enforcement fee: £252. Payable before the final licence is granted. Covers running costs, compliance monitoring, inspections and scheme enforcement over the licence term.

Total standard fee: £1,570 for a five-year licence.

You can pay both parts together at checkout, or pay Part 1 on submission and Part 2 later when Camden issues the notice of intention to grant. The fee is the same whether your licence covers a mandatory HMO (five or more people) or an additional HMO (three or four people) under Camden's scheme.

Purpose-built student accommodation has a lower Part 2 fee (£65 instead of £252), bringing the total to £1,383.

The £100 Accreditation Discount

Camden deducts £100 from the Part 2 fee if the proposed licence holder holds current individual membership in a recognised accreditation scheme. The two schemes that qualify are:

• London Landlord Accreditation Scheme (LLAS) — run through London boroughs
• National Residential Landlords Association (NRLA) — national membership with accreditation

To claim the discount, you need to be individually accredited (not just a member), have completed the required continuing professional development training, and be the owner of the licensable property. Corporate entities, managing agents, and people who aren't the proposed licence holder cannot claim it.

With the discount, the total drops to £1,470 (£1,318 + £152).

If you're not already accredited, NRLA membership costs around £85–£100 per year. On a single licence, the £100 discount roughly offsets the first year's membership fee. Across multiple properties, accreditation pays for itself several times over.

Refund Rules

• Part 1 processing fee: non-refundable where a valid application is withdrawn or refused after the initial phase. Camden refunds the full fee if the property is not licensable or an incomplete application is rejected as not duly made
• Part 2 enforcement fee: fully refundable if paid upfront and the application is subsequently refused or withdrawn before the licence is granted

If Camden refuses a valid application after you've paid both parts, you get Part 2 back but not Part 1.

What Costs Nothing

Camden charges £0 for administrative variations during the licence term — changing your correspondence address, notifying a new mortgagee or freeholder, changing the managing agent, voluntary licence revocation, or applying for a temporary exemption notice.

Shortened Licences Cost the Same

If Camden grants a two-year licence instead of the standard five years (because of management concerns or outstanding building issues), the full £1,570 fee still applies. The council does not pro-rate fees for shorter licences because the administrative processing cost is identical.

Previous Fees (2025/26)

Before 15 January 2026, fees were slightly lower: £1,297 (Part 1) + £234 (Part 2) = £1,531 total. If your application was validly submitted before the changeover date, it's processed under the old fee schedule even if the decision comes after January 2026.

The Camden Landlord Licensing Guide includes a complete fee breakdown with accreditation steps and a discount verification checklist.

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