Croydon Landlord Licence Documents: What You Need Before Applying

The Complete Document List

Every Croydon property licence application — whether selective, additional HMO, or mandatory HMO — requires the same core set of compliance documents, uploaded through the council's Metastreet portal. Missing or expired documents are the most common reason applications stall.

Here is what you need.

Proof of Ownership

An official Land Registry Title Copy confirming your freeholder or leaseholder status, dated within the last three months. If the property is held by a company, the registered details must match the title and tenancy documentation.

Gas Safety Certificate (CP12)

A valid annual Gas Safety Certificate issued by a Gas Safe registered engineer, covering all gas boilers and appliances in the property. The certificate must be current at the date of submission. Landlords must conduct this inspection every 12 months and provide a copy to tenants.

If the property has no gas supply, a gas safety certificate is not applicable.

Electrical Installation Condition Report (EICR)

A satisfactory EICR conducted by a qualified electrician under the Electrical Safety Standards in the Private Rented Sector (England) Regulations 2020. The report is valid for a maximum of five years.

"Satisfactory" means no C1 (danger present), C2 (potentially dangerous), or FI (further investigation) codes remain open. If your EICR has outstanding C1, C2, or FI codes, they must be addressed and the report must be satisfactory for the application. Landlords have 28 days to address these codes once identified.

Energy Performance Certificate (EPC)

A valid EPC showing at least a Band E rating (the Minimum Energy Efficiency Standard). EPCs last 10 years. If the property falls below Band E, you need to either improve it or register a valid MEES exemption before applying.

Properties with a Band B or above qualify for a £50 fee discount on discretionary licence applications.

Dimensioned Floor Plans

This is where most applications encounter problems. The council requires scaled floor plans showing:

• Room dimensions in square metres — measure length × width for each room
• Ceiling heights — any area with a ceiling height below 1.5 metres (5 feet) must be excluded from the usable floor area
• Room usages — label each room (bedroom, kitchen, bathroom, living room, storage)
• Fire escape routes — mark emergency exit paths
• Alarm locations — show smoke detector and carbon monoxide alarm positions
• Facility locations — mark kitchens, bathrooms, and WCs

Plans must be accurate, legible, and properly dimensioned. A rough sketch without dimensions does not meet the council's stated floor-plan requirement.

For HMO applications, floor plans are critically important because the council uses them to verify room sizes against minimum standards (6.51 m² single, 10.22 m² double) and to set maximum occupancy conditions.

Fire Safety Documentation

For HMO applications (additional and mandatory), a written fire risk assessment is mandatory. It must comply with the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 and cover all common parts of the property.

For selective licence applications, a fire risk assessment is not always required at submission but may be requested during processing.

All property types must meet the applicable smoke and carbon monoxide alarm rules: smoke alarms on every storey with living accommodation and a carbon monoxide alarm in every room with a fixed combustion appliance (including gas boilers). HMO alarm systems must comply with BS 5839 Grade D1 or D2 interlinked alarms. The Smoke and Carbon Monoxide Alarm (Amendment) Regulations 2022 extended the carbon monoxide alarm requirement.

Tenancy Agreement

A sample written tenancy agreement showing the current terms. Since 1 May 2026, the Renters' Rights Act 2025 abolished assured shorthold tenancies and Section 21 notices — all private lets now run as periodic tenancies. Your agreement should reflect these changes.

Upload Format

Submit all documents as clear PDFs or JPEGs through the portal. Blurry photographs, password-protected files, or documents with expired dates will delay processing.

For a full pre-application document preparation workflow with verification checkpoints, see our Croydon Landlord Licensing Guide.

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