How to Apply for a Landlord Licence in Southwark: Portal Walkthrough

Before You Start

Most Southwark property licence applications are made online through the council's portal. Paper forms are available by emailing [email protected]; the £179.70 paper application charge and, where applicable, the £60.50 invoice charge apply unless you have a valid reason for not applying or paying online, including a disability. If you cannot pay online, contact the council about an alternative payment method.

Before opening the portal, assemble your full document package: EICR, gas safety certificate, EPC, fire risk assessment (for HMOs), fire alarm certificates (for HMOs), scale floor plans, tenancy agreement and deposit protection proof. Upload-ready PDFs or clear photos work. Having everything gathered first avoids the portal's session timeout problems.

Step 1: Register a Portal Account

Create an account on Southwark's property licensing portal using a working email address. The email becomes your primary contact for all licensing correspondence — application receipts, deficiency notices, Part B invoices and licence decisions.

Step 2: Enter the Property Address

Type the property postcode and select the exact address from the dropdown. The portal uses integrated mapping to identify which licensing scheme applies based on the property's ward location. This is the definitive check — it tells you whether you need a selective, additional HMO or mandatory HMO licence.

Step 3: Property and Occupancy Details

Enter the structural details: number of storeys, rooms, bathrooms and kitchens. For HMO applications, input individual room dimensions in square metres and current occupant numbers broken down by household.

The portal cross-references these inputs against the licensing thresholds. If the numbers change the applicable scheme (for example, you enter five occupants when you expected four), the portal adjusts accordingly.

Step 4: Fit and Proper Person Declaration

Complete the statutory self-disclosure for the proposed licence holder and any named managing agent. This covers criminal convictions, housing enforcement history, previous licence refusals and insolvency proceedings. Both the property owner and the managing agent (if different) must be declared.

If the property is owned by a limited company, the company is the proposed licence holder. You will need the registered company number, business address and director details.

Step 5: Upload Documents

Upload each required document. The portal has specific upload fields for each document type. Make sure file names are clear and documents are legible — blurry photos of gas certificates cause rejections.

Check expiry dates before uploading. An EICR issued six years ago, or a gas certificate from last October that expired a week before your application, will trigger a deficiency notice.

Step 6: Pay Part A

The Part A fee is paid by card through the portal. Once the payment clears, the portal issues an automated receipt and a unique application reference number.

At this point, if the application is genuinely complete — all fields filled, all documents valid and uploaded, Part A paid — you have a statutory defence against prosecution for operating an unlicensed property while the council processes your file. Keep the receipt and reference number.

Processing Timeline

Southwark's average processing time is three to six months. During this period, the council checks your documents, runs the fit and proper assessment and may contact you with follow-up questions.

If something is missing or deficient, the council issues a formal deficiency notice giving you 14 to 28 days to fix it. Failure to respond means the application is refused and the Part A fee is forfeited.

Part B and the Final Licence

Once the council validates everything, it issues a Notice of Intention (draft licence) with proposed conditions, followed by a 14-day consultation period. After consultation, the council sends the Part B invoice. Pay it, and the licence is formally granted.

The final licence specifies the licence holder, the property address, the maximum permitted occupancy and the conditions attached. Keep a copy with your property records — you may need to produce it for tenants, agents or future inspections.

For a full portal walkthrough with a pre-application checklist, see the Southwark licensing guide.

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