Tower Hamlets HMO Licence Documents: What You Need Before You Apply

Submitting an HMO licence application in Tower Hamlets with a missing or expired document doesn't just delay your application — it triggers a charge of £112.50 (mandatory HMO) or £157.50 (additional HMO) per incomplete item. The council adds these directly to your Part B balance.

Here's exactly what you need before you touch the portal.

Gas Safety Certificate

A current Landlord Gas Safety Record (CP12) issued by a Gas Safe registered engineer. The certificate must be renewed annually — not every five years, annually. If your property has no gas supply or gas appliances, you'll need written confirmation of that fact rather than simply leaving the upload blank.

The council checks the engineer's Gas Safe registration number against the national register. Certificates from unregistered engineers are treated as missing.

Electrical Installation Condition Report (EICR)

A valid EICR complying with BS 7671 standards, completed by a qualified and competent electrician. The report must be no more than five years old at the time of application, and it must show no outstanding C1 (danger present) or C2 (potentially dangerous) defects.

If your EICR has C1 or C2 observations, those defects must be remedied and the report updated before you apply. Submitting an EICR with unresolved serious defects counts as an incomplete document.

Under the Electrical Safety Standards in the Private Rented Sector (England) Regulations 2020, the EICR is also a standalone landlord duty — you need one regardless of whether your property requires a licence.

Energy Performance Certificate (EPC)

A valid EPC with a minimum rating of Grade E. EPCs last ten years from the date of issue. If your property falls below Grade E, you must either carry out improvements to reach that threshold or register a valid exemption on the national PRS Exemptions Register.

Since April 2020, it has been unlawful to let a property with an EPC rating below E without a registered exemption. The council can enforce this independently of the licensing process.

Fire Risk Assessment

A fire risk assessment covering fire hazards, people at risk, existing fire-safety measures and any additional measures needed. PAS 79 is a recommended standard, and the assessment should be carried out by a competent assessor.

For HMOs, the assessment should identify appropriate measures for fire detection, escape routes, fire doors and emergency lighting. Licence conditions require monthly testing of interlinked smoke and carbon monoxide alarms.

The Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 places fire safety duties on the "responsible person." The assessment should be reviewed periodically and updated when the property layout or occupancy changes.

Scaled Floor Plans

Metric-dimensioned floor plans showing:

• Every room with its measurements in square metres
• Room uses (bedroom, kitchen, bathroom, living room, hallway)
• Ceiling heights (minimum 2.14m over at least 75% of the floor area for rooms to count as habitable)
• Locations of fire doors, smoke/heat detectors and carbon monoxide alarms
• Structural deductions (chimney breasts, en-suites) marked on the plan

If your plans are inaccurate or not to scale, the council offers an in-house preparation service at £40.00 per hour — charged to you. It's far cheaper to have a surveyor or architect produce compliant plans before you apply.

Written Tenancy Agreement

Since 1 May 2026 under the Renters' Rights Act 2025, all assured tenancies in England are periodic. You need a written statement of terms that complies with the new periodic tenancy framework, and tenants must have received the mandatory Government Information Sheet.

The tenancy document isn't just for the licence application — it's a standalone legal requirement. Operating without one is a separate breach.

Keeping Everything Current

Documents expire on different cycles: gas safety annually, EICR every five years, EPC every ten years, fire risk assessments on periodic review. A licence condition will require you to maintain these throughout the licence term, not just at the point of application.

The Tower Hamlets Landlord Licensing Guide includes a compliance tracker that maps every document to its renewal cycle, so you can see at a glance what needs updating and when — avoiding the mid-licence gaps that expose landlords to condition breach penalties.

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