Lambeth Licence Documents Required: What to Upload for Your Application

Missing a single document is enough for Lambeth to reject your licence application — and Part A (£717.50 for a selective licence) is non-refundable once processing starts. The upload requirements are spread across multiple council web pages, and the Metastreet portal does not tell you in advance exactly what format each document needs to be in. Here is the complete list for all three licensing schemes.

Documents Required for Every Scheme

These apply whether you are applying for selective, additional HMO or mandatory HMO:

Gas safety certificate (CP12). Annual inspection by a Gas Safe registered engineer covering all gas appliances in the property. Must be current and have at least three months' validity remaining at the time of upload.

Electrical Installation Condition Report (EICR). Valid for five years, issued under the Electrical Safety Standards in the Private Rented Sector (England) Regulations 2020. The report must show a "Satisfactory" overall result. If any C1 (danger present) or C2 (potentially dangerous) defects are flagged, you need a separate Electrical Installation Condition Certificate (EICC) or minor works certificate proving the defects have been remediated before uploading. An EICR with unresolved C1 or C2 codes will cause the application to fail.

Energy Performance Certificate (EPC). Valid for ten years. The property must meet the minimum E rating under the Minimum Energy Efficiency Standards, or hold a valid registered exemption. If the EPC is rated C or higher, upload it to claim the £50 Part B discount on selective licences. The discount is not automatic — you must include the certificate.

Annotated floor plan. This is where applications commonly go wrong. The floor plan must be to scale and show:

• Room dimensions in square metres
• Ceiling heights
• Designated use of each room (bedroom, living room, kitchen, bathroom)
• Location of smoke and heat detectors
• Fire door positions
• Escape routes

A rough sketch will not be accepted. For HMO applications especially, the room dimensions directly determine whether minimum space standards are met (6.51 m² per person for anyone aged 10 or over).

Written tenancy agreement. A copy of the current tenancy agreement listing the full legal names of all occupants. Informal arrangements without written terms will cause problems — the Housing Act 2004 requires landlords to provide tenants with a written statement of terms as a licence condition.

Fire safety evidence. Proof of interlinked smoke alarms on every storey used as living accommodation. Carbon monoxide alarms in any room with a fixed combustion appliance. For HMOs, a written fire risk assessment for common parts is required, plus annual test certificates for any emergency lighting or fire alarm systems.

Additional Documents for Selective Licences

Land Registry title deed. An official copy of the Register of Title, dated within 28 days of the application submission. You can order this from HM Land Registry online — it takes a few minutes and costs a few pounds. The 28-day rule is strictly applied, so do not order the title deed weeks in advance.

Additional Requirements for HMO Applications

Room measurements. For mandatory and additional HMO licences, the council checks sleeping room floor areas against the 2018 Mandatory Conditions Regulations. The floor plan must clearly show that every sleeping room meets the minimum: 6.51 m² for one person aged 10+, 10.22 m² for two people, 4.64 m² for a child under 10. Rooms below 4.64 m² cannot be used as sleeping accommodation.

Fire Risk Assessment. While a basic smoke alarm declaration suffices for most selective licence applications, HMOs need a full written fire risk assessment for the common parts, prepared under the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005.

The Three-Month Validity Rule

Every safety certificate uploaded must have at least three months of remaining validity at the point of submission. An EICR that expires in ten weeks, or a gas certificate due for renewal in two months, will be flagged. Schedule new inspections early enough that the fresh certificates arrive before you start the portal application.

Our Lambeth landlord licensing guide includes a pre-application document audit checklist cross-referenced to each licence type, so you can verify every document is ready before entering the portal and paying Part A.

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