Harrow Fit and Proper Person Test: What Landlords Need to Declare

Every landlord who applies for a property licence in Harrow — whether selective or HMO — must pass a statutory fit-and-proper-person assessment. It applies to the proposed licence holder and, where relevant, to the proposed manager. If the proposed licence holder fails, Harrow can refuse the application regardless of the property's condition.

The test sits in Section 66 (for HMO licences) and Section 89 (for selective licences) of the Housing Act 2004. Harrow doesn't have discretion to waive it.

What You're Declaring

The application includes statutory declarations confirming that the individual (or, for a corporate applicant, each director and officer) has:

• No unspent criminal convictions involving fraud, dishonesty, violence, drugs, or sexual offences
• No history of unlawful discrimination in connection with property management
• No adverse housing enforcement findings — including previous civil penalty notices, prosecution for housing offences, or licence condition breaches
• No previous connection to properties under Management Orders or properties where a licence was revoked

"Unspent" follows the standard Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 framework. Spent convictions generally don't need to be disclosed, but the council may request further detail if its own records suggest a pattern of housing non-compliance.

Corporate Applicants

If the licence holder is a company, every director and company secretary must satisfy the fit-and-proper test individually. A single disqualified director can block the entire application.

What Happens If You Fail

A refusal can be appealed to the First-tier Tribunal (Property Chamber); check the decision notice for the applicable deadline. Do not assume that an appeal authorises letting without a licence.

If a fit-and-proper concern arises during an existing licence term (for example, a new conviction), the council can revoke the licence or vary it to substitute a different licence holder.

Overseas Landlords and the UK Address Requirement

The proposed licence holder must hold a valid UK residential or registered business address. Overseas owners cannot serve as primary licence holders directly. The standard route is to appoint a UK-based managing agent or UK-resident representative as the named licence holder. The agent can submit the application through MyHarrow, but the statutory declarations and fit-and-proper requirements attach to whoever is named on the licence.

Practical Steps

Before you start the application, check whether anything in your background could trigger a refusal. If you've received a civil penalty notice from any local authority (not just Harrow), been involved in a Banning Order, or had a property taken into management, declare it honestly. Harrow considers convictions, housing enforcement history, and prior Management Orders or licence revocations in its assessment.

For the full application workflow including the fit-and-proper declaration, document requirements, and how the council processes your application, see our Harrow landlord licensing guide.

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