Section 257 HMO Haringey: Licensing Converted Buildings

What Makes a Building a Section 257 HMO

A Section 257 HMO is a building — or part of a building — that has been converted into self-contained flats where two conditions hold: the conversion doesn't comply with the Building Regulations 1991 (or later regulations if converted after that date), and fewer than two-thirds of the self-contained flats are owner-occupied.

Victorian and Edwardian terraces converted during the 1960s, 70s, and 80s can warrant a closer check. Missing building-control sign-off alone does not establish whether the conversion complied; assess it against the applicable Building Regulations and check whether fewer than two-thirds of flats are owner-occupied.

The critical distinction: each flat inside the building might be entirely self-contained, with its own kitchen, bathroom, and front door. The tenants don't share amenities. Under the normal HMO definitions, a self-contained flat with one household wouldn't need an HMO licence. But Section 257 treats the building as a whole as an HMO because of the substandard conversion and the rental makeup.

Haringey's Additional Licensing Scheme Covers Section 257 Buildings

Haringey's additional HMO licensing scheme, designated 17 June 2024 and running to 16 June 2029, explicitly includes Section 257 HMOs borough-wide. This means the freeholder or head landlord responsible for the common parts of a qualifying converted building must hold an additional HMO licence for the building itself.

That's the building-level licence. But there's a second layer. If an individual flat within a Section 257 block is let to three or more unrelated tenants who share amenities within that flat, the flat needs its own additional HMO licence (or mandatory licence if there are five or more occupants). And if an individual flat is let to a single family in one of the 14 selective licensing wards, it needs a selective licence.

So a converted building in Tottenham with six rented flats could need: one Section 257 additional licence for the building, plus individual selective licences for each single-household flat, plus individual HMO licences for any flat sublet to multiple tenants. The licensing obligations stack.

How to Check If Your Building Qualifies

Three questions determine Section 257 status:

Was the building converted into self-contained flats? If it was purpose-built as flats, Section 257 doesn't apply. The conversion must have changed the building's original use — typically a single house divided into separate units.

Does the conversion comply with the relevant Building Regulations? Assess the work against the Building Regulations 1991 or the subsequent regulations applicable when it was converted. Missing building-control records alone do not establish whether the conversion complied.

Are fewer than two-thirds of the flats owner-occupied? Count the total number of self-contained units in the building. If more than a third are rented out (to tenants who aren't the flat owners), the threshold is met. A six-flat block where three or more flats are let qualifies.

Who Holds the Licence

The licence holder for a Section 257 building must be the person having control of the building — usually the freeholder or the head leaseholder responsible for the common parts (hallways, stairs, external structure). This isn't the individual flat tenants or even the individual flat landlords, unless one of them also controls the building.

Managing agents appointed to run the common parts can be named as the licence holder's manager on the application, but the legal responsibility sits with the person having control.

Fees and Application

The fee is the same as any additional HMO licence: £1,411.68 for 2026/27, split between Part A and Part B. The same accreditation and EPC discounts apply.

Documentation requirements include a fire risk assessment for the common parts, dimensioned floor plans showing escape routes, proof of communal area maintenance, and gas and electrical safety evidence for shared systems. Individual flat-level certificates (EICR, gas safety) are the responsibility of each flat's landlord, not the Section 257 licence holder, but the building licence application may ask for evidence that these are in place.

The Haringey Landlord Licensing Guide covers the full Section 257 assessment, including how dual licensing obligations work when the building licence and individual flat licences overlap.

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