Havering Landlord Licence Documents Required: The Complete Upload Checklist

Why Documentation Matters Before You Pay

Havering's Part A application fee — £570 for selective, £840 for additional HMO — is non-refundable the moment you submit. If your application is incomplete because a certificate is missing or expired, the council issues an invalidation notice that halts processing. You've lost the fee and gained nothing.

Getting every document right before clicking submit is the single most important part of the application process.

The Required Documents

Gas Safety Certificate

Statutory basis: Gas Safety (Installation and Use) Regulations 1998.

Must be issued by a Gas Safe registered engineer and be less than 12 months old at the time of application. It needs to cover all gas appliances, flues, and pipework in the property. If the property has no gas supply, you'll still need to declare this on the application — don't leave the field blank.

Electrical Installation Condition Report (EICR)

Statutory basis: Electrical Safety Standards in the Private Rented Sector (England) Regulations 2020.

Must show a "Satisfactory" overall outcome and be issued within the last five years. If the report contains C1 (danger present) or C2 (potentially dangerous) codes, remedial work must be completed within 28 days of the inspection, and you need documentary proof before uploading.

Energy Performance Certificate (EPC)

Statutory basis: Energy Performance of Buildings (England and Wales) Regulations 2012.

The property must have a valid EPC with a minimum rating of E (unless a registered exemption applies). An EPC lasts 10 years. If the property rates C or higher, uploading the certificate qualifies you for Havering's £75 Part B fee discount on selective and additional HMO licences.

Dimensioned Floor Plans

Must show precise room dimensions in square metres, window locations, ceiling heights (with any area below 1.5 metres clearly delineated), and fire door positions. For HMO applications, the plans must demonstrate that sleeping rooms meet minimum size standards — 6.51 m² for a single occupant, 10.22 m² for two adults. Any floor area under a ceiling height of 1.5 metres is excluded from the calculation.

Professional surveyor-prepared plans are safest, but the council accepts landlord-drawn plans if they include accurate measurements and the required detail. Rough sketches without dimensions will be rejected.

Smoke and Carbon Monoxide Alarm Evidence

Statutory basis: Smoke and Carbon Monoxide Alarm (England) Regulations 2015 (as amended).

You need a working smoke alarm on each storey with a room used as living accommodation; the regulations do not prescribe a power source, and sealed-for-life batteries are the better option for battery-powered alarms. A carbon monoxide alarm is required in each room used wholly or partly as living accommodation that contains a fixed combustion appliance, except a gas cooker. The application requires a declaration confirming all alarms are fitted and functional — photographic evidence strengthens the submission.

Fire Risk Assessment (HMO Properties)

Statutory basis: Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005.

For shared HMO properties (additional and mandatory HMO licences), you need a written Fire Risk Assessment. This should cover escape routes, fire detection systems, emergency lighting (if fitted), and fire door maintenance. Include test certificates for any emergency lighting.

Selective licence applications for single-household lets don't require a formal Fire Risk Assessment, though smoke and CO alarm compliance still applies.

Fit and Proper Person Declarations

Every individual named on the application — the owner, proposed licence holder, and any managing agent — must complete statutory background disclosures covering criminal convictions, housing enforcement history, discrimination findings, bankruptcy, and any Banning Orders. For corporate owners, this includes designated directors and officers.

Tenancy Management Documents

Upload current tenancy agreements, your written anti-social behaviour management policy, and rent collection procedures. These demonstrate that the property is managed to the standard the licence conditions require.

Interested Party Notifications

Before submitting, you must formally notify mortgage lenders, freeholders, joint owners, and superior leaseholders in writing that you're applying for a licence. The portal requires you to declare that this notice has been served and to have proof of service available.

Preparing for Upload

Scan or photograph all documents as clear PDFs. The council portal accepts PDF uploads — blurry photos or truncated scans trigger requests for replacements, which delay processing. Name files clearly (e.g., "Gas-Safety-Certificate-2026.pdf") to avoid confusion during officer review.

The Havering Landlord Licensing guide includes a pre-submission document checklist with the exact validity windows and formatting requirements for each upload, so nothing gets missed on application day.

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