Portsmouth HMO Licence Application: Documents You Need

A Portsmouth HMO licence application is only "duly made" — and you only get statutory protection from unlicensed-operation penalties — once every required document has been sent to the council and the Part 1 fee is paid. A saved draft or a submission with missing documents does not count. Here is the full list.

Mandatory Documents (All Licence Types)

Metric floor plan. A layout plan of the entire property showing every room measured in square metres. Label room usage (bedroom, kitchen, bathroom), mark ceiling heights below 1.5m (these areas are excluded from the usable floor calculation), and show the positions of smoke detectors, heat detectors, carbon monoxide alarms, fire doors and fire blankets. Hand-drawn plans are acceptable provided they are legible and dimensionally accurate — you do not need professional architectural drawings.

Fire risk assessment (FRA). A written risk assessment complying with the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005. If you submit the application without an FRA, the council will typically grant a 1-year licence conditioned on obtaining one — but that locks you into the most expensive tier.

Gas safety certificate. An annual certificate issued by a Gas Safe registered engineer covering all gas appliances and flues in the property.

Electrical Installation Condition Report (EICR). Issued by a qualified electrician, rated "Satisfactory", and dated within the last five years. An unsatisfactory EICR must be remediated and retested before the council will grant a full-term licence.

Fire alarm and emergency lighting certificates. Annual servicing and testing certificates for any Grade A fire alarm system or emergency escape lighting. These are separate from the FRA.

Portable Appliance Testing (PAT). Inspection reports or original purchase receipts for every electrical appliance the landlord supplies to tenants — kettles, toasters, washing machines, anything with a plug.

Documents for the 5-Year Tier

To qualify for the longest (and cheapest per year) licence, you also need:

• Energy Performance Certificate (EPC) rated Band E or above, dated within the last 10 years
• Accreditation proof — a valid certificate or membership number from a body on Portsmouth's approved list (NRLA, ARLA Propertymark, LLAS/ATLAS, PRSAS, DASH, Safeagent, iHowz, UKALA or The Property Institute for Section 257 blocks)

If the other criteria are met, lacking accreditation or the EPC leaves the maximum licence term at 2.5 years.

The Split Submission Trap

Portsmouth's Metastreet portal collects basic property details and the Part 1 payment. But all supporting documents — the floor plan, certificates, FRA, PAT reports — must be emailed separately to [email protected]. The portal does not make this obvious. Many applications stall because landlords assume the portal upload is the only step.

Format the email with the property address and licence reference in the subject line, attach documents as clearly labelled PDFs, and keep a copy of the sent email as proof of submission.

Statutory Notice Before You Apply

Before submitting, you must serve written notice on every person with an interest in the property — freeholders, head leaseholders, mortgage lenders, joint owners and appointed agents. This is a legal requirement under Schedule 2 of SI 2006/373, and the council may ask for proof.

Our Portsmouth Landlord Licensing Guide includes a document preparation checklist and floor plan reference sheet so you can assemble everything before opening the portal.

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