How to Apply for a Selective Licence in Harrow: The MyHarrow Portal Step by Step

All property licence applications in Harrow go through the MyHarrow digital portal. There's no separate licensing portal — it's the same account system the council uses for council tax, bin collections, and everything else. The application process follows a defined sequence, and skipping steps or arriving with missing documents leads to rejection or delays.

Setting Up Your MyHarrow Account

Start at harrow.gov.uk/myaccount. You'll need a working email address and basic identity details. If you're renewing an existing licence, the council sends an automated email from [email protected] with an activation link that connects your existing property records to the new account.

Managing agents can submit applications on behalf of landlords, but legal liability for the declarations stays with the named licence holder.

Before You Start the Application

Get your documents ready before you log in. The portal requires uploads during the application, and missing documents trigger a formal missing-evidence notice with a compliance deadline. If you don't meet the deadline, the application is rejected and you lose the Part A fee.

The mandatory documents include:

• Gas Safety Certificate (CP12) — current, issued by a Gas Safe registered engineer
• EICR — showing satisfactory with no C1 or C2 defects, valid five years
• EPC — minimum Band E, valid ten years
• Fire Risk Assessment — mandatory for HMOs, recommended for selective
• Dimensioned floor plans — room sizes in square metres, showing windows, doors, fire escapes, and detector locations
• Proof of ownership — Land Registry title, building insurance, management agreement if an agent is appointed
• Interested parties notification — evidence you've notified mortgagees, freeholders, or co-owners about the application

The Application Sequence

Once logged in:

1. Select the correct licensing scheme based on your property address and occupancy
2. Fill in property details and upload all documents
3. Complete the statutory legal declarations, including the fit-and-proper-person test
4. Pay the Part A fee (£686 for selective, approximately £1,400 for mandatory HMO) by card

Your application becomes "duly made" once Part A is paid. Council officers target 14 working days for initial validation.

For HMO applications, the council then requests an inspection fee (£500 standard HMO / £100 self-contained unit) and an Environmental Health Officer visits the property.

After the inspection (or validation for selective), the council issues a Draft Licence Notice with a 14-day public consultation window. Once that closes and any representations are resolved, you'll receive a request for the Part B enforcement fee (£100 for selective). Pay that within five working days to avoid the late surcharge. After Part B clears, the final licence, for up to five years, is issued.

Overseas Landlords

If you're based outside the UK, you cannot serve as the primary licence holder directly. You'll need to appoint a UK-domiciled managing agent or UK-resident representative as the legal licence holder. The UK address requirement is a statutory condition, not a council policy choice.

Paper Applications

If you need a paper form or reasonable adjustments under equality legislation, contact [email protected] directly. The standard PDF Selective Licence Application Form is available on request.

For the complete pre-application checklist, fee staging, and the document specifications council officers actually check, see our Harrow landlord licensing guide.

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