Hammersmith and Fulham Licence Application Documents: What You Need to Upload

Documents Every Licence Application Needs

To achieve "duly made" status, your application must include compliant supporting documents. Expired or incomplete certificates can cause the council to reject it as invalid; the Part 1 fee is non-refundable.

Here is the full document set, broken down by which licence types require each one.

Gas Safety Certificate (CP12)

A Gas Safe registered engineer must inspect every gas appliance and flue in the property. The certificate is valid for 12 months, so it must be current on the day you submit.

The gas safety certificate is required where gas is present. If the property has no gas, check the portal's requirements for that application.

Electrical Installation Condition Report (EICR)

The EICR covers the fixed wiring in the property and is valid for five years. It must show a "Satisfactory" outcome. If the report flags C1 (danger present) or C2 (potentially dangerous) defects, you need a remediation certificate or a Minor Works Certificate showing those defects have been fixed before the council will accept it.

LBHF requires EICRs for all three licence types — mandatory HMO, additional HMO and selective.

Energy Performance Certificate (EPC)

Your property needs a valid EPC rated E or above. EPCs last 10 years, so most landlords already have one. If the property genuinely cannot reach an E rating, check whether it qualifies for the national PRS Exemptions Register before applying.

Measured Floor Plans

Floor plans are mandatory for mandatory and additional HMO licences. LBHF also recommends them for selective licence applications.

A floor plan can be hand-drawn; it still needs to be scaled or accurately dimensioned and show:

• Every room labelled by use (bedroom, kitchen, bathroom, communal living area)
• Floor area in square metres for each room
• Ceiling heights where they vary
• Location of amenities (sinks, cookers, WC)
• Fire escape routes marked clearly

The council publishes a guidance note called "How HMO plans should be presented" — it is worth downloading before you start measuring. A common rejection reason is missing room dimensions or unlabelled escape routes.

Fire Risk Assessment

Required for mandatory and additional HMO licences. A competent person must carry out a written assessment identifying escape routes, fire doors, compartmentation and fire detection systems.

There is no legal requirement for the assessor to hold a specific qualification, but using someone with relevant experience (an FRACS-registered assessor, for example) reduces the chance of the council questioning the document.

Fire Alarm Certification

For mandatory and additional HMOs, you need a commissioning or testing certificate for the smoke and heat alarm system. LBHF expects interlinked systems — typically Grade D1 or D2, Category LD2 or LD1 under BS 5839-6.

Standalone battery-operated alarms are not enough for licensed HMOs. If your property currently has standalone detectors, budget for an upgrade before you apply.

Documents the Portal Asks For (But Many Landlords Forget)

Beyond the safety certificates, the application form itself requires:

• Proof of ownership or management authority — the proposed licence holder must have legal control of the property
• Contact details for all interested parties — mortgage lenders, freeholders, joint owners
• Written notice served on interested parties — you must notify them before submitting, and confirm you have done so on the portal
• Fit and proper person declarations — for the applicant, the proposed licence holder and the property manager (if different people)
• Companies House details if a limited company is the proposed licence holder

How to Avoid the Most Common Rejection

Expired certificates or an EICR with unresolved C1/C2 defects can make an application invalid. LBHF requires compliant supporting documents at the point of application.

Before you upload, check every certificate's date against the day you plan to submit. If your gas certificate expires in two weeks, get it renewed first.

For a complete walkthrough of the application process — from working out which licence your property needs to clearing the portal's known address-lookup bug — the Hammersmith and Fulham Landlord Licensing Guide covers every step with the documents mapped to each stage.

See more England guides →