Hammersmith and Fulham HMO Floor Plan Requirements

LBHF requires scaled or accurately dimensioned floor plans as part of every mandatory and additional HMO licence application. Submit something that doesn't meet the standard and the application gets rejected — along with your non-refundable Part 1 fee.

What the Plans Must Show

Your floor plans need to include:

• Room uses — label each room (bedroom, kitchen, bathroom, living room, hallway, storage)
• Floor areas in square metres — shown with accurate measurements
• Ceiling heights — particularly in loft conversions or rooms under sloping ceilings
• Location of amenities — cooking facilities, sinks, WCs, baths/showers, wash hand basins
• Fire escape routes — show the path from each bedroom to the final exit, including fire doors
• Smoke and heat alarm positions — mark where each detector sits

Plans should cover every floor of the property, including any basement or loft that tenants use.

How to Measure Rooms

Under the national HMO rules, any part of a room where the ceiling height falls below 1.5 metres is excluded from the usable floor area. LBHF's amenity standards also call for a ceiling height of at least 2.3 metres across at least 50% of the total floor space (75% for new conversions).

Measure from the inside face of the walls, not including skirting boards. For irregular rooms, break the space into rectangles, measure each, and add them up. Record the measurement in square metres.

Minimum Room Sizes

These floor area thresholds determine how many people can occupy each room:

• Single bedroom (with shared living space): 6.51 m²
• Single bedroom (no shared living space): 10.22 m²
• Double bedroom (with shared living space): 10.22 m²
• Double bedroom (no shared living space): 15.00 m²
• Child under 10: 4.64 m²
• Bedsit with cooking facilities: 13.50 m² (single) / 15.00 m² (double)

If a room falls below the minimum for single occupancy, the council will either reduce the permitted occupancy or refuse the licence.

Do You Need a Professional?

LBHF accepts hand-drawn plans as long as they're clear, accurately dimensioned, and legible. You don't need CAD software or a professional surveyor. What matters is that the measurements are correct and every required element is marked.

Use graph paper or a simple drawing app. Add a north arrow and the property address on each page. If you have multiple floors, draw each on a separate sheet and label them clearly.

Common Rejection Reasons

• Missing room measurements — every room must show its floor area
• No fire escape route marked
• Illegible labels or unclear room boundaries
• Missing ceiling height data for rooms under sloping roofs
• Omitting basement or loft rooms that tenants access

For the complete document checklist and application walkthrough, see the Hammersmith and Fulham Landlord Licensing Guide.

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