How to Apply for a Property Licence in Hammersmith and Fulham Without a Compliance Agent

You can apply for a property licence in Hammersmith and Fulham entirely by yourself. The application is an administrative process — an online form, a set of documents, and a fee payment — not a legal proceeding that requires professional representation. Compliance agents charge £300–£600 per property on top of the council fee; for a single selective or additional HMO licence, that's a significant markup on a process you can complete in a weekend of preparation and 20–30 minutes of portal time.

Here is what the self-application process actually involves, step by step.

Step 1: Determine Which Licence Your Property Needs

Hammersmith and Fulham runs three licensing schemes. The applicable one depends on occupant count, household composition, shared amenities, building type, and — for non-HMOs — street address. An HMO on a selective street is licensed under the applicable HMO scheme; selective licensing applies to non-HMO lets.

Selective licensing applies to non-HMO private rentals on 24 designated streets, including lets to a single occupant, a single family, or two unrelated sharers. The streets include Askew Road, Fulham Road, North End Road, Uxbridge Road, Shepherd's Bush Road, Goldhawk Road, and eighteen others listed in the 2022 designation order (running from 5 June 2022 to 4 June 2027).

Additional HMO licensing applies borough-wide to qualifying HMOs with three or four occupants forming two or more households and sharing amenities. LBHF also includes specified purpose-built HMO flats and qualifying Section 257 converted flat buildings in this scheme.

Mandatory HMO licensing generally applies to properties occupied by five or more people forming two or more households and sharing facilities. This is the national scheme under Part 2 of the Housing Act 2004; certain purpose-built flats in blocks of three or more self-contained flats are exempt from mandatory licensing and fall under LBHF's Additional scheme.

Determine whether the property is an HMO using the occupant, household, and shared-amenity tests, and check the building type. If it is not an HMO, check whether its address is on one of the 24 selective streets. The HMO schemes take precedence over selective licensing, so a property needs the licence for its applicable HMO category rather than both an HMO and selective licence.

If you're unsure, the Hammersmith and Fulham landlord licensing guide includes a decision matrix that works through these questions systematically.

Step 2: Gather Your Documents

The portal asks for documents in a specific order. Preparing them before you log in saves time and prevents the application from stalling mid-submission. You need:

• Gas Safety Certificate (CP12): where gas is present, it must be current (renewed annually). The portal asks you to upload it.
• Electrical Installation Condition Report (EICR): must have no outstanding C1 (danger present) or C2 (potentially dangerous) codes. If it does, complete the remedial work and obtain the required EICR confirmation or EIC/MWC evidence before you apply.
• Energy Performance Certificate (EPC): upload a current certificate with at least an E rating, unless the property is registered on the national PRS Exemptions Register.
• Fire Risk Assessment: required for HMO applications (additional and mandatory). A single-family selective licence doesn't require one, but it's good practice.
• Fire safety alarm certification: have the commissioning or testing certificate for interlinked smoke and heat alarms ready for HMO applications.
• Floor plans: measured plans are required for Additional and Mandatory HMOs and recommended for Selective licences. For HMO bedrooms, LBHF's minimums depend on occupancy and whether separate communal living space is provided: 6.51 m² for a single bedroom or 10.22 m² for a double with communal living space; without a separate communal living area, the minimums are 10.22 m² for a single and 15.00 m² for a double. You can draw these by hand on graph paper; they don't need to be CAD-produced. The important thing is that room dimensions are clearly labelled and the total area is calculated.
• Fit and Proper Person declaration: the portal takes you through a series of disclosure questions about criminal convictions, housing enforcement actions, and company directorships. Prepare your answers beforehand — particularly if you've had enforcement action in another borough or are a director of a company that's been subject to housing compliance proceedings.

Assemble everything before you open the portal. An incomplete application stalls, and if it's refused or withdrawn after processing, you lose the Part 1 fee.

Step 3: Calculate Your Fee

LBHF splits the fee into Part 1 (application processing) and Part 2 (scheme management and enforcement):

You pay Part 1 when you submit the application. After approval, Part 2 is collected before the final licence is issued. If the application is refused, Part 2 is refunded.

Discounts: Only one discount applies per application: £80 for active NRLA or LLAS accreditation, or £50 for joining the LBHF Landlord Rental Charter during the digital application. If you qualify for both, LBHF applies the £80 accreditation discount. If you're not already accredited, check whether NRLA membership (£85–£100/year) pays for itself through the discount.

Step 4: Navigate the Portal

LBHF's online licensing portal is where you create an account and submit the application. The interface is a standard multi-page form — property details, applicant details, document uploads, declarations, and payment.

The critical warning: the portal's postcode lookup feature has an active technical bug that corrupts address fields. The council itself warns applicants to type address details manually. If you use the lookup and it corrupts the data, the application may stall or be rejected — and the Part 1 fee is non-refundable. Type every address manually, every time the portal asks for one.

Beyond the bug, the portal is straightforward. Upload your documents when prompted, answer the Fit and Proper Person questions, and pay the Part 1 fee by card. The submission itself takes 20–30 minutes if your documents are ready.

Step 5: Wait for Processing and Pay Part 2

After submission, LBHF processes the application. Processing times vary — expect several weeks to a few months depending on the volume of applications. The council may request additional information. Mandatory HMO applications undergo a pre-grant inspection; Additional and Selective properties are subject to risk-based post-grant audits.

After approval, LBHF issues the Part 2 fee invoice. Pay it before the final licence is issued; non-payment can delay the formal licence document.

Step 6: Comply with Licence Conditions

The licence comes with conditions that run for the life of the grant (typically five years, with shorter one- or two-year terms possible in some cases). Standard conditions include:

• Annual gas safety certificate renewal
• Maintaining a valid EICR
• Smoke and carbon monoxide alarm testing
• Minimum room sizes for sleeping rooms
• Waste disposal arrangements (particularly for HMOs)
• Tenant reference checks for new occupants
• Notifying the council of any changes to the licence holder's circumstances

The current Additional HMO and Selective schemes expire on 4 June 2027; mandatory HMO licensing is statutory and has no scheme expiry date. Landlords in the Additional or Selective schemes must submit renewal applications before expiry. Check the council's renewal instructions as the date approaches.

The Parallel Planning Requirement

One thing many landlords miss: a borough-wide Article 4 Direction has been in effect in Hammersmith and Fulham since April 2021. Converting a C3 dwellinghouse to a C4 small HMO (three to six occupants) requires express planning permission. Seven or more occupants requires Sui Generis permission.

A property licence does not grant planning permission. If your property needs both, you must apply for both separately. The licensing team and the planning team are different departments with different processes.

What You're Saving by Doing It Yourself

For a single selective or additional HMO licence:

• With a compliance agent: £755 (selective/additional base council fee, before any eligible discount) + £300–£600 (agent fee) = £1,055–£1,355
• With a step-by-step guide: £755 (selective/additional base council fee, before any eligible discount) + $29 (guide) = substantially less

For a five-bedroom mandatory HMO, the base council fee is £1,656 (+£183 per additional bedroom), before any eligible discount, so the agent markup is proportionally smaller — but still £300–£600 you're paying for form submission and document collation you can do yourself.

The Landlord Licensing in Hammersmith and Fulham guide walks through all three schemes, includes the portal workaround, provides floor plan preparation instructions, and comes with worksheets for the Fit and Proper declaration, document readiness, fee calculation, and post-grant compliance tracking. It's designed for exactly this scenario — a self-managing landlord who wants to handle the application themselves.

Who This Is For

• Self-managing landlords with one or two properties in Hammersmith and Fulham who want to handle the licence application themselves
• Landlords who are comfortable with administrative tasks and online forms but want a clear sequence to follow
• First-time applicants who've never used the LBHF licensing portal
• Budget-conscious landlords who'd rather spend the agent fee on property improvements

Who This Is NOT For

• Landlords with no time for document preparation — a compliance agent handles the logistics
• Portfolio landlords licensing five or more properties who benefit from agent volume discounts
• Landlords facing an enforcement notice or civil penalty — get legal advice before applying
• Landlords unsure whether their building qualifies as a Section 257 converted flat — a professional inspection gives more certainty than self-assessment

Frequently Asked Questions

How long does the whole self-application process take?

Document preparation is the main time investment — gathering current certificates, measuring rooms for floor plans, and preparing the Fit and Proper disclosure. Allow a weekend for preparation. The portal submission itself takes 20–30 minutes. Processing by the council takes several weeks to a few months.

What happens if I make a mistake on the portal?

Contact the council's private housing team. Minor corrections (typos, document re-uploads) can usually be handled without restarting the application. Major issues — wrong licence type, corrupted address data — may require a new submission and a fresh Part 1 fee.

Can my letting agent submit the application for me?

Yes. The proposed licence holder must be the person with legal control, typically the freeholder or long leaseholder, and both the holder and property manager are assessed as fit and proper. If you are the holder, you remain responsible for your declarations and ongoing licence conditions. Property-management agents can also have separate Rent Repayment Order liability under the Renters' Rights Act reforms. If your agent submits, review every answer on the Fit and Proper Person section yourself.

Do I need a solicitor to apply for a property licence?

No. A property licence application is an administrative form, not a legal proceeding. You need a solicitor only if you're appealing a refusal, responding to an enforcement action, or dealing with a Rent Repayment Order.

What if I discover I've been letting without a licence?

Apply immediately. LBHF can issue civil penalties of up to £40,000 per offence for unlicensed letting, and tenants can claim Rent Repayment Orders for up to 24 months of rent. Applying promptly demonstrates a willingness to comply, which can be a relevant factor if enforcement proceedings have already begun — though this isn't guaranteed protection.

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