Documents Needed for a Haringey Landlord Licence: Complete Checklist

Why Documents Are the Bottleneck

Haringey's Metastreet portal won't let you submit a licence application until every mandatory document is uploaded. A missing gas safety certificate or an expired EICR stalls the entire process — the portal literally blocks the payment page. Landlords who start the online application expecting to upload documents later find their session timing out while they scramble to locate paperwork.

The fix is simple: assemble everything before you log in. Here's exactly what each scheme requires.

Documents Required for All Licence Types

These apply whether you're applying for a selective, additional HMO, or mandatory HMO licence:

Gas safety certificate. Annual inspection by a Gas Safe registered engineer. Must be current on the date of submission. If the property has no gas supply (all-electric), you'll need to declare this on the portal — but check carefully, because a gas boiler in a communal cupboard still counts.

Electrical Installation Condition Report (EICR). Inspection under the 2020 Electrical Safety Standards Regulations, dated within the last five years. If the report identifies urgent or potentially dangerous work, complete the required remedial actions and keep the evidence; confirm the portal's current requirements before applying with an unsatisfactory report.

Energy Performance Certificate (EPC). The general rental standard is at least Band E unless a valid exemption is registered on the PRS Exemptions Register. An EPC rated Band C or above qualifies for a £51.90 discount on Part B of the licence fee.

Current tenancy agreements. The executed Assured Shorthold Tenancy (or assured periodic tenancy under the Renters' Rights Act 2025) for every current occupant. Joint tenancies count as one agreement.

Smoke and CO alarm evidence. Working smoke alarms on every storey used as living accommodation. Carbon monoxide alarms in every room containing a fuel-burning appliance (gas boilers, gas fires, wood burners). Follow the portal's requested format for evidence of installation.

Additional Documents for HMO Licences

Additional HMO and mandatory HMO applications require everything above, plus:

Fire risk assessment (FRA). A written assessment compliant with the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005. This covers fire hazards, escape routes, detection systems, emergency lighting, and mitigation measures. Many landlords commission this professionally — typical cost is £150–£300 depending on property size and complexity.

Dimensioned floor plans. Scaled plans showing every room with its area in square metres, positions of doors and windows, fire escape routes, and the locations of fire detection equipment. Floor plans must demonstrate compliance with Haringey's minimum room sizes:

• Single bedroom: 6.51 m² (10 m² if no shared living room)
• Double bedroom: 10.22 m² (15 m² if no shared living room)
• Bedsit: 13 m²

Any section of a room where the ceiling height drops below 1.5 m is excluded from the usable area — relevant for loft conversions. Submit a dimensioned plan that meets the portal's format requirements; do not assume a hand-drawn sketch will be accepted.

What Trips Up Most Applications

Expired certificates. An EICR dated 4 years and 11 months ago is valid at submission, but if processing takes two months, the council may query it. Safer to renew anything within six months of expiry before applying.

Wrong EPC band. Band E is the legal minimum, but Minimum Energy Efficiency Standards are tightening. If your EPC is borderline, check the recommendations page — sometimes a low-cost measure (loft insulation, LED lighting) pushes the rating up a band and qualifies you for the discount.

Missing floor plans for HMOs. Selective licence applicants don't need floor plans. HMO applicants do. Landlords who've only held a selective licence before sometimes apply for an HMO licence with the same document set and get rejected.

Incomplete FRA. A generic fire safety checklist downloaded from the internet doesn't satisfy the Regulatory Reform Order requirement. The FRA must be property-specific and assess the actual building, not a template property.

Keeping Documents Current After the Licence Is Granted

A licence doesn't freeze your compliance obligations at the point of application. Throughout the licence term:

• Gas safety certificates must be renewed annually
• EICRs must be renewed every five years (or sooner if the report specifies)
• Fire detection and alarm systems must be tested regularly
• Six-monthly property inspections must be documented (Haringey's local condition)

Letting any certificate lapse while the licence is live risks a licence condition breach — a separate offence carrying a civil penalty of up to £30,000 for offences before 1 May 2026 and up to £40,000 for offences on or after that date, independent of the original licensing duty.

The Haringey Landlord Licensing Guide includes a pre-application document checklist, post-licence renewal calendar, and the full portal upload sequence.

See more England guides →