Islington Fit and Proper Person Test for Landlord Licensing
What the Test Covers
Before Islington Council grants any property licence — selective, additional HMO, or mandatory HMO — it must be satisfied that the proposed licence holder and the property manager are "fit and proper persons" under sections 66 and 89 of the Housing Act 2004.
The council looks at three categories:
Criminal offences: convictions involving fraud, dishonesty, violence, drugs, or sexual offences listed under Schedule 3 of the Sexual Offences Act 2003.
Discrimination: any finding of unlawful discrimination on grounds of sex, race, colour, ethnic origin, or disability in the course of a business or professional activity.
Housing law contraventions: previous civil penalties, rent repayment orders, licence revocations, or convictions for housing offences — including relevant history across UK local authorities.
Who Gets Checked
The assessment applies to the proposed licence holder (the person named on the licence) and any proposed manager. If the licence holder is a company, the checks extend to directors, company secretaries, and controlling officers.
The council assesses both the proposed licence holder and any proposed manager as fit and proper persons.
Overseas Landlords
Islington will not issue a property licence directly to an individual or company located outside the United Kingdom unless a UK-based managing agent is appointed. The agent must either be the proposed licence holder or a co-declarant who signs formal statutory declarations accepting full legal responsibility for scheme compliance.
This isn't optional — it's a structural requirement of the application. An overseas owner can own the property, but someone with a UK address must hold or co-hold the licence and pass the fit-and-proper test themselves.
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What Happens If You Fail
If the council determines that the proposed licence holder or manager isn't fit and proper, the application is refused. The Part A processing fee is not refunded.
More importantly, the property remains unlicensed. Operating an unlicensed property carries civil penalties up to £40,000 and exposes you to rent repayment orders of up to 24 months' rent. Failing the test doesn't exempt you from needing a licence — it means you need to find a different person to hold it.
If a licence is granted and a new conviction or housing enforcement finding emerges, it may be relevant to a later fit-and-proper assessment.
What Helps
Having a clean record is the baseline. Maintaining recognized professional accreditation, such as LLAS or NRLA accreditation, qualifies you for the £75 fee discount.
Disclose relevant history accurately: the fit-and-proper assessment considers housing-law contraventions and relevant history across UK local authorities.
The Islington Landlord Licensing Guide covers the fit-and-proper assessment alongside the full application process.
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