Salford HMO Licence Application: Documents You Need Before You Start

The most expensive mistake in a Salford licence application is submitting it before your documents are ready. Part A of the fee — £679 for a mandatory HMO licence — is non-refundable once processing has started, even if the application is rejected because of missing paperwork. Assembling everything before you touch the portal is the obvious move, but the council's document requirements aren't listed in one place on their website.

The Document Checklist

Basic DBS certificate — both the property manager and the proposed licence holder need one, dated within three months of the application. Order it from the Disclosure and Barring Service online; standard processing takes around 14 days. This is the document that catches people out most often because of the three-month expiry window. If you ordered your DBS for a different application four months ago, it's already too late.

Gas safety certificate — a current inspection certificate from a Gas Safe registered engineer, showing no unresolved Category 1 defects. Required annually for any property with gas appliances.

Electrical Installation Condition Report (EICR) — issued by a qualified electrician, rated "Satisfactory," and dated within five years. The Electrical Safety Standards in the Private Rented Sector (England) Regulations 2020 mandate this for all private rentals.

Energy Performance Certificate (EPC) — valid and rated E or above. If the property has a legitimate exemption, it must be registered on the national PRS Exemptions Register.

Fire safety and alarm declarations — written confirmation that smoke alarms are installed on every storey used as living accommodation, and carbon monoxide alarms in every room with a fixed combustion appliance. For HMOs, you also need functional test logs for Grade D interlinked fire detection systems.

Scaled floor plans — dimensioned drawings showing room measurements in square metres, room usage, detector locations, fire doors, and kitchen and bathroom layouts. These are mandatory for all HMO applications (both mandatory and Section 257).

Tenancy agreement and waste management instructions — a copy of your standard tenancy agreement (which must include antisocial behaviour clauses) and written waste management instructions issued to tenants.

The Three Portal Steps

Salford's portal won't let you register a property until you've completed both of the first two steps. You can complete those two registrations in either order.

Step 1 — register the property manager. Upload their Basic DBS and complete fit-and-proper declarations. The portal generates a unique Manager ID.

Step 2 — register the proposed licence holder. Same DBS and declaration requirements. The portal generates a Licence Holder ID.

Step 3 — register the property using both IDs. Upload all compliance documents, select the correct licence category, and pay Part A.

Landlords who jump straight to Step 3 hit portal errors because the system has no manager or licence holder profile to attach the property to. If you're the manager and the licence holder (which most self-managing landlords are), you still need to complete both registrations separately.

Before You Submit

Serve formal notice on all relevant persons — freeholders, mortgage lenders, co-owners, and managing agents — under the Licensing and Management Regulations 2006. You must declare on the portal that these notifications have been sent.

Double-check your DBS dates. If the three-month window closes between ordering and submitting, you'll need a fresh certificate.

The Salford Landlord Licensing Guide includes a pre-application document audit and the full portal walkthrough for every licence type.

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