Hammersmith and Fulham Fit and Proper Person Test for Landlords

Every property licence application in Hammersmith and Fulham includes a fit and proper person assessment. Both the proposed licence holder and the property manager must pass it. Fail, and the council refuses the licence — which means you can't legally let the property.

What You Must Disclose

Under Sections 66 and 89 of the Housing Act 2004, the fit and proper person test requires you to declare whether you have any record of:

• Criminal offences involving fraud, dishonesty, violence, drugs, or sexual offences under the Sexual Offences Act 2003
• Unlawful discrimination on grounds of sex, colour, race, ethnic or national origins, or disability
• Housing law contraventions — breaches of landlord and tenant law, environmental health regulations, or housing standards
• Previous licensing problems — licence refusals, revocations, or enforcement action from any UK local authority (not just LBHF)
• Properties subject to enforcement — Works in Default orders, Control Orders, or Emergency Prohibition Orders

This applies to every person named on the application: the applicant, the proposed licence holder, and any named property manager.

Corporate Licence Holders

If a limited company is the licence holder, the company itself must be named — you can't list an individual employee. You'll need the company's registered name, Companies House number, registered office address, trading address, and details of a responsible director or company secretary. The fit and proper person disclosures apply to the named director as well.

What Happens If You Fail?

If LBHF determines that you're not a fit and proper person, it refuses the licence application. The Part 1 processing fee is not refunded. You can appeal the refusal to the First-tier Tribunal (Property Chamber) within 28 days.

If you can't hold the licence yourself, you may be able to nominate a different licence holder — but that person must also pass the test and have control over the property.

False Declarations

Falsifying fit and proper person declarations is a criminal offence under Section 238 of the Housing Act 2004. On conviction, the penalty is an unlimited fine. LBHF also records false declarations in your licensing history, which follows you to any future application in any borough.

How to Prepare

Before starting the online application, gather the information you'll need to complete the disclosures accurately. That means checking your own records for any spent or unspent convictions, any previous enforcement notices, and any licensing history across all local authorities — not just Hammersmith and Fulham.

For the full application walkthrough, including the documents and fees, see the Hammersmith and Fulham Landlord Licensing Guide.

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