How to Apply for a Landlord Licence in Haringey: Step-by-Step Portal Guide

Before You Touch the Portal

The most common reason applications stall is missing documents. Haringey's Metastreet portal won't let you complete a submission without uploading every mandatory file, and sessions can time out if you stop to hunt for paperwork mid-application.

Gather these before you start:

• Gas safety certificate — annual inspection by a Gas Safe registered engineer, current at submission
• EICR — Electrical Installation Condition Report, dated within the last five years, rated satisfactory
• EPC — Energy Performance Certificate at minimum Band E (Band C or above qualifies for a £51.90 fee discount)
• Current tenancy agreements — executed AST or assured tenancy for every occupant
• Smoke and CO alarm proof — working smoke alarms on every storey, CO alarm in every room with a fuel-burning appliance

HMO applicants also need:

• Fire risk assessment — written assessment compliant with the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005
• Dimensioned floor plans — room sizes in m², fire escape routes marked, door positions shown

If any certificate is close to expiry, plan its renewal so it remains current when required during the licence term. A licence does not extend a certificate's validity.

Creating Your Portal Account

Go to propertylicensing.haringey.gov.uk and register a new user account. You'll need a working email address — the portal sends validation and correspondence to it throughout the licensing process.

If you manage multiple properties, one account covers all of them. Each property gets its own application within the account.

The Application Sequence

Once logged in, select the property address and the appropriate licensing scheme based on the ward and occupancy. The process runs through these stages:

1. Property identification. Enter the property address. The system checks it against Haringey's address database. If the property has sub-units (flats within a converted building), make sure you're applying for the correct unit — flat-level and building-level licences are separate applications.

2. Applicant details and control test. The licence must be held by the person having control (typically the freeholder or primary leaseholder receiving the rent) or the person managing the property. If you use a letting agent, you'll still typically be the proposed licence holder unless the agent takes full management responsibility.

3. Fit and Proper Person declaration. This is a statutory requirement under Section 66 (HMO) or Section 89 (selective) of the Housing Act 2004. You must disclose:

• Criminal offences involving fraud, dishonesty, violence, drugs, or sexual offences
• Unlawful discrimination findings
• Adverse housing law or environmental health enforcement history
• Properties subject to Control Orders, Management Orders, or licence refusals within the last five years
• Any civil penalty notices under the Housing and Planning Act 2016

Honest disclosure doesn't automatically disqualify you — the council assesses the full picture. Failing to disclose, however, is grounds for licence revocation if discovered later.

4. Document uploads. Upload each certificate and document as specified above. PDF and image formats are accepted. Check file sizes before uploading — the portal has per-file limits and large scanned documents may need compression.

5. Part A fee payment. Once everything is uploaded and declarations are complete, the portal takes the Part A payment by card. For 2026/27: £411.57 for selective, approximately £641.48 for additional or mandatory HMO.

After Submission

Payment of Part A generates an application reference number, but it does not mean you have a licence. The property enters a pending state while council officers validate your submission.

The council follows a three-step statutory process:

Notice of Intent (draft licence) — the council proposes to grant (or refuse) the licence and serves notice on all interested parties, including mortgage lenders, freeholders, and joint owners.

14-day representation period — recipients can challenge licence terms, occupancy limits, or proposed conditions in writing.

Notice of Decision and Part B collection — the council considers representations, collects the Part B fee, and issues the final licence.

Processing times vary, but expect several weeks to several months depending on the council's workload. Your property is not licensed during this period. However, a duly made application that remains effective is a statutory defence to the unlicensed-operation offence under Section 72(4) for an HMO or Section 95(3) for a selectively licensed house; the application itself does not grant the licence.

Common Rejection Reasons

• Incomplete documentation — a missing or expired certificate
• Incorrect scheme selection — applying for selective when the occupancy triggers HMO licensing
• Fit and Proper Person issues — undisclosed adverse history
• Incorrect applicant — someone other than the person having control or the person managing the property

A refused application means Part A is gone and you may need to address the deficiency before reapplying with a fresh Part A payment.

For the full portal walkthrough with screenshots-equivalent guidance, fee calculations, and a post-submission tracking checklist, see the Haringey Landlord Licensing Guide.

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