Waltham Forest Property Licence Documents Required: The Complete Evidence List

Documents Every Scheme Requires

Regardless of whether you're applying for a selective, additional HMO, or mandatory HMO licence, the council needs the same core set of evidence:

Gas Safety Certificate (CP12): Current annual certificate from a Gas Safe registered engineer. Required if the property has any gas appliances. If there's no gas supply, you'll declare this in the application instead.

Electrical Installation Condition Report (EICR): Must show a satisfactory rating and be within its five-year validity period, as required by the Electrical Safety Standards in the Private Rented Sector (England) Regulations 2020.

Energy Performance Certificate (EPC): Minimum Band E under the Domestic Private Rented Property Minimum Energy Efficiency Standard Regulations 2015. Note the rating carefully — Band C or above qualifies for fee discounts on selective and additional HMO licences.

Floor plan: A layout plan showing room dimensions. Selective licence applications need a standard layout. HMO applications need detailed plans with dimensions in square metres, amenity locations, and fire escape routes.

Tenancy agreement: A copy of the current tenancy agreement. HMO applications also need tenancy management details and, for mandatory HMOs, occupancy logs.

Fit and proper person details: The proposed licence holder and any property manager must disclose unspent criminal convictions (specifically fraud, violence, drugs, or sexual offences), housing law breaches, discrimination findings, and any previous licence revocations.

Additional Requirements for HMO Licences

The HMO schemes layer on extra requirements beyond the core set:

Fire Risk Assessment: Additional HMO applications need a basic FRA plus mains alarm and emergency lighting certificates. Mandatory HMO applications need a written FRA plus Grade A LD2 alarm system certificates — a higher standard.

Room size evidence: HMO bedrooms must meet statutory minimums — 6.51 m² for a single adult, 10.22 m² for two adults, 4.64 m² for a child under 10. Any room under 4.64 m² cannot be used as sleeping accommodation. Your floor plan must show these measurements clearly.

Amenity standards documentation: For HMOs, the council may request evidence of adequate kitchen facilities, bathroom ratios, and waste management arrangements.

Drawing Your Own Floor Plan

Architectural floor plan services in London charge upward of £350+VAT. For a simple property, you can draw a compliant plan yourself.

Measure each room wall-to-wall using a laser measure or tape. Record dimensions in metres to one decimal place. Show the location of kitchens, bathrooms, toilets, and fire escape routes. Label each room with its function and floor area in square metres. The council needs to see that HMO bedrooms meet the statutory minimums and that shared amenities are adequate for the number of occupants.

Notification of Interested Parties

Before submitting, you must serve formal notice of the licensing application on all relevant parties — freeholder, joint owners, mortgage lender, and managing agent. Under Section 63 (HMOs) and Section 87 (selective) of the Housing Act 2004, you'll declare in the portal that this notice has been served.

Getting It Right First Time

Missing documents are the most common reason applications stall. The council may request supplementary evidence after submission, but an incomplete application isn't legally "duly made" — meaning your property remains unlicensed during the delay.

The Waltham Forest Landlord Licensing Guide includes a pre-submission document checklist organised by scheme type, plus a floor plan preparation guide so you can compile everything before touching the portal.

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