How to Apply for a Wandsworth Property Licence Without Paying an Agent

You do not need a letting agent to apply for a property licence in Wandsworth. The application goes through the council's Regulatory Services Hub — a web portal that applicants can access directly. What you do need is preparation. You can save a draft, but it does not protect against enforcement or validate statutory possession notices; only a complete, submitted application with the required documents and Part A paid is valid. Part A is generally non-refundable once an application has been processed, though Wandsworth says it refunds duplicate or wrong applications and applications for properties that do not require a licence. The standard Part A fee is £529 for selective licensing, £903 for additional HMO and from £1,036 for mandatory HMO. You want to be copying from completed worksheets, not researching mid-session.

Here is the approach that keeps costs down and gets the application right the first time.

Step 1: Confirm Which Licence You Need

Wandsworth runs four overlapping licensing schemes. Applying under the wrong scheme can delay the process and require a fresh submission; the council says it refunds wrong applications.

Selective Licensing Designation 1 (1 July 2025 to 30 June 2030) applies to single-household lets and properties let to two unrelated sharers in four wards: Furzedown, South Balham, Tooting Bec and Tooting Broadway.

Selective Licensing Designation 2 (1 April 2026 to 31 March 2031) covers the same property types in three additional wards: East Putney, West Putney and Northcote.

Additional HMO Licensing (1 July 2025 to 30 June 2030) covers properties occupied by three or four people from two or more households sharing basic amenities, borough-wide. This is where most confusion happens — the national HMO definition starts at five people, but Wandsworth's additional scheme drops the threshold to three.

Mandatory HMO Licensing applies nationally to properties with five or more occupants from two or more separate households sharing basic amenities.

Start with your property address and check the ward using the council's ward checker. Ward boundaries do not match postcodes — a "Putney" address may or may not be in the East Putney ward. Then count occupants and assess household composition against the Housing Act 2004 definitions. A joint tenancy with three friends sharing a house still counts as three people from separate households if they are not related by blood, marriage or equivalent.

Step 2: Assemble Documents Before You Touch the Portal

The portal requires specific documents in specific formats. Gather everything before you log in:

• Electrical Installation Condition Report (EICR) — must be current (valid five years from test date)
• Gas Safety Certificate (CP12) — must be current (valid twelve months)
• Energy Performance Certificate (EPC) — must be current (valid ten years). A grade B or above gets you £104 off Part B fees; grade C gets £52 off
• Fire Risk Assessment — required for all HMO licence applications
• Floor plans with room measurements in square metres — this is where many applications stall. The council specifically requires square metres, not feet. Room dimensions must be legible and include every habitable room
• PAT/EET appliance test declarations — Wandsworth requires this for additional HMO properties with supplied electrical goods (refrigerators, washing machines). This is a local requirement, not a standard national one
• Interested parties — identify mortgage lenders, freeholders, head lessees and joint owners; you must serve them notice of the application and confirm this on the portal

Each document needs to be current, correctly formatted, and ready to upload as a file. An expired EICR or a floor plan without square-metre measurements triggers a formal documentation request — and two such requests forfeit your fee discounts.

Step 3: Calculate Fees and Identify Every Discount

Wandsworth splits fees into Part A (processing, paid on submission and generally non-refundable after processing, with refunds for duplicate or wrong applications and properties that do not require a licence) and Part B (enforcement, paid before the licence is granted). Total standard fees:

• Selective licence: £885 (£529 Part A + £356 Part B)
• Additional HMO licence: £1,507 (£903 Part A + £604 Part B)
• Mandatory HMO licence: from £1,711 for 3 units of accommodation to £2,117 for 10 units, plus a pro-rata fee for each unit above 10

Eligible discounts include:

1. Accredited landlord (NRLA, LLAS, UKALA, ARLA, RICS, Safeagent): £100–£104 off Part B
2. EPC grade B or above: £104 off Part B
3. EPC grade C: £52 off Part B
4. Multi-dwelling: £104 off Part A per property when applying simultaneously for units in the same block
5. Gold Standard: 40% off Part B
6. Social rented sector: £104 off Part B for properties provided or leased to local authority social housing referral schemes

Discounts require your declaration and supporting evidence. If you hold NRLA accreditation and your EPC is grade B, declare both — they stack. Work out the total before the portal session so there are no surprises at the payment screen.

Step 4: Prepare Answers on Paper

The portal asks for property details, licence holder details, occupancy declarations, management arrangements and proposed licence conditions acceptance. Write out every answer before you log in. You can save a draft, but it does not protect against enforcement or validate statutory possession notices; only a complete, submitted application with the required documents and Part A paid is valid.

Key items to have ready: full property address, ward confirmation, number of occupants and household composition, details of any managing agent, details of any other person involved in the management, details of interested parties you must notify, and your declaration regarding fit-and-proper person status.

Step 5: Submit the Complete Application

Log into the Wandsworth Regulatory Services Hub, select the correct licence type, complete every field from your prepared answers, upload all documents, declare applicable discounts with evidence, review the Part A amount and pay. Once the complete application is submitted with all required documents and Part A paid, it is "duly made" — this provides a statutory defence against penalties while the council processes it.

The council will contact you for Part B payment before granting the licence. It aims to determine a valid application within three months, though timing varies and may be longer during peak submission periods following a new designation launch.

What Agents Charge — and What You Save

Letting agents in Wandsworth charge £300 to £500 above the council's statutory fees for handling a licence application. That covers form-filling, document coordination and portal submission. It does not cover gathering your safety certificates or drawing your floor plans. The owner remains responsible for ensuring the property is licensed; an authorised agent may also be named as licence holder or manager and have the duties attached to that role.

For a single selective licence, the total cost with an agent runs from £1,185 to £1,385. Without an agent, it is £885 — or less if you qualify for discounts. For a five-unit mandatory HMO, the agent route totals £2,127–£2,327 before discounts. The DIY route with a guide to walk you through it costs a fraction of that premium.

The Wandsworth landlord licensing guide covers all four schemes with decision worksheets, a document assembly checklist, a fee calculator with discount stacking, and a step-by-step portal walkthrough — everything you need to prepare offline and submit a complete application.

Frequently Asked Questions

How long does the Wandsworth licence application take to process?

Processing times vary. The council aims to determine a valid application within three months, but new designation launches can create submission surges. Once your application is "duly made" (Part A paid and all required documents submitted), you have a statutory defence against licensing penalties during processing.

What if I save a draft but do not submit it?

A saved draft is not a valid application and does not protect against enforcement or validate statutory possession notices. Preparation matters — complete the application, upload the required documents and pay Part A to make a valid submission.

Can I combine discounts on one application?

Eligible discounts can be combined. The accredited landlord and social rented sector discounts, EPC discount, and Gold Standard discount apply to Part B; EPC B and C rates are alternatives. The multi-dwelling discount applies to Part A for simultaneous applications on units in the same block. Wandsworth can revoke discounts if it issues two separate requests for outstanding supporting documents or a formal warning for failure to license, so submit a complete application.

Do I need planning permission before applying for a licence?

If a mandatory or additional HMO application concerns a property that requires planning permission but does not have it (for example, a Sui Generis HMO with seven or more occupants), or has unauthorised planning alterations, Wandsworth can grant a one-year licence at the full fee instead of the standard five years. The council gives the licence holder time to seek permission, resolve unauthorised development or reduce occupancy.

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