Camden HMO Licence Renewal: Timing, Fees and What Happens If You're Late

A Camden HMO licence normally lasts five years. When it's about to expire, the renewal process has a tight window, and missing it creates problems that cost more than just the application fee.

The 30-Day Renewal Window

To qualify as a renewal rather than a new application, you must submit your online application within 30 days before your current licence expires. Not 60 days, not "a few weeks before" — the portal treats an application submitted more than 30 days early the same way it treats any other new submission.

These conditions must be met for a renewal:

1. The application is submitted within the 30-day pre-expiry window
2. The current licence holder and property are unchanged
3. The arrangements for granting the current licence have not significantly changed
4. The current licence hasn't already expired

Camden sends a courtesy email reminder roughly two months before expiry, but there's no legal obligation for them to remind you and no extension if you didn't receive it. Calendar the date yourself when you first get your licence.

What Happens If You Miss the Window

If your licence expires before you submit a renewal:

• Your next application is legally classified as a new application, not a renewal
• Your property is unlicensed from the moment the old licence expires until your new application is duly made
• During that gap, you're exposed to civil penalties of up to £40,000 and tenants can pursue rent repayment orders for the unlicensed period
• You lose any renewal-specific eligibility or processing priority

There's no grace period. The day after expiry, you're an unlicensed landlord if you haven't submitted.

How Long Processing Takes

Camden doesn't publish guaranteed processing times for HMO licence applications. The statutory decision process involves validation review, a draft decision notice with a 14-day consultation window, a representation review, and the final decision notice.

In practice, straightforward applications with complete documentation can be decided within a few months. Complex cases — properties with incomplete documents, disputed room measurements, or fit and proper person concerns — take longer.

The critical protection is that once your application is duly made (complete form, all documents uploaded, Part 1 fee paid), you have statutory protection under the Housing Act 2004 against prosecution for operating without a licence while the application is pending. That protection starts on the submission date, not the decision date.

This is why submitting within the 30-day window matters so much — if you submit the day before expiry and the application is duly made, you're protected continuously. If you submit the day after expiry, you've had at least one day of unlicensed operation.

Fees on Renewal

Renewal applications pay the same fees as new applications under Camden's current schedule: £1,318 (Part 1) + £252 (Part 2) = £1,570 total. The £100 accreditation discount still applies if the proposed licence holder holds current LLAS or NRLA accreditation.

What Changes Between Scheme Cycles

If your licence was granted under Camden's 2020–2025 additional HMO scheme and you're renewing under the 2025–2030 scheme, the underlying legal instrument has changed even though the practical requirements are similar. Your new licence will reference the current designation and current fee schedule.

Licence conditions may also have been updated between scheme cycles. Review the draft decision notice carefully during the 14-day consultation window — don't assume the conditions will be identical to your previous licence.

For a complete renewal walkthrough with document checklists and condition comparison tables, see the Camden Landlord Licensing Guide.

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