Lambeth Licence Holder Company Rules: Limited Companies, Directors and Manager Variations

If your Lambeth rental property is held in a limited company, the licence application works differently from an individual landlord's. The company itself must be named as the proposed licence holder — not you personally, and not your managing agent. Getting this wrong means the licence is issued to the wrong entity, and correcting it after the fact requires a fresh application.

How Limited Company Applications Work

When a property is owned by a limited company, the application must name:

• Proposed licence holder: The registered company. You enter the full company name, the registered office address, and the Companies House registration number.
• Named UK director: At least one director must be identified on the application. This director must be UK-resident and is the person the council contacts for enforcement purposes.
• Proposed managing agent: The person or agency that manages the property day to day — collecting rent, arranging repairs, handling tenant queries.

Both the company (through its named director) and the managing agent must complete the fit and proper person declarations. Any unspent convictions, discrimination findings, or housing enforcement history involving the company, its directors, or the managing agent must be disclosed.

Why the Entity Matters

A property licence under the Housing Act 2004 is granted to a specific named person or entity. It cannot be transferred. If the licence is granted to a director personally but the property is owned by the company, there is a mismatch — the licence holder is not the person with the legal interest in the property, and the council may consider the licence improperly held.

Similarly, if a sole trader landlord later transfers the property into a limited company, the existing licence does not follow. The company must submit a new application.

Changing the Managing Agent (Licence Variation)

When the managing agent changes — you switch letting agencies, your current agent leaves, or you take over day-to-day management yourself — the licence holder must apply for a formal licence variation through the Metastreet portal at hmolicensing.lambeth.gov.uk.

A variation is also needed for updates to the licence holder's contact address, minor internal layout changes, or corrections to the named director.

Variations that involve a change to the proposed licence holder itself (for example, the company is sold or restructured under a different entity) are not variations — they require a brand new licence application. The previous licence terminates and the new entity starts fresh.

Practical Points for Company Landlords

Multiple properties. If the company owns several properties in Lambeth, each one needs its own licence. For selective licences, the multi-unit block discount (£100 off Part A for the second flat onwards in the same building) applies when the same company owns multiple flats in a single block — but the applications for up to eight flats must be submitted simultaneously.

Overseas companies. If the company is registered outside the UK, a UK-based managing agent or UK-resident corporate officer must be nominated as a joint licence holder. The council needs someone within UK jurisdiction for enforcement service.

Company changes. If the company name changes, the registered address moves, or a named director resigns, update the licence through a variation promptly. An out-of-date licence creates confusion during inspections and may complicate enforcement responses.

The Lambeth Landlord Licensing Guide covers the full company application workflow, fit and proper declarations for corporate entities, and the variation process for changing managing agents.

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