Wandsworth Licence Application Process: Portal Steps, Documents and Timeline

Where You Apply

All Wandsworth property licence applications go through the council's online Regulatory Services Hub. Paper applications are not accepted unless accessibility accommodations have been agreed. You'll need to create an account before you can start.

The process is the same whether you're applying for a selective licence, additional HMO licence, or mandatory HMO licence — the portal adapts the form based on your property details and scheme type.

The Six-Stage Application Sequence

1. Register and look up the address. Create an account on the Regulatory Services Hub and enter the property's full address or Unique Property Reference Number (UPRN). The system confirms which ward the property sits in and which scheme applies.

2. Declare roles. Identify the proposed licence holder, property owner, managing agent (if different), and any mortgagees or leaseholders. The licence holder should be the person who has practical day-to-day control of the property — usually the person collecting rent and arranging maintenance.

3. Complete fit-and-proper declarations. Every named individual (and every director, for a corporate applicant) must declare their criminal history, any housing enforcement notices, discrimination findings, and insolvency status. The council assesses these against Housing Act 2004 criteria.

4. Upload documents. This is where most delays happen. You need:

• Electrical Installation Condition Report (EICR) — must show "Satisfactory" with no C1 or C2 observations, valid up to 5 years
• Gas safety certificate — current annual certificate covering all gas appliances
• Energy Performance Certificate (EPC) — minimum grade E (grade B or C qualifies for fee discounts)
• Measured floor plan — metric dimensions in square metres, showing room layouts, ceiling heights, fire escape routes, and detector positions
• Fire Risk Assessment — required for HMOs; proof of working smoke alarms on every storey and carbon monoxide alarms where applicable
• Tenancy agreement — a copy of the standard written terms supplied to occupiers

All files must be PDF or image format. An EICR with unresolved C1 or C2 codes will hold up the application until remedial work is completed and a satisfactory report uploaded.

5. Notify interested parties. You must serve written notice of the application on all mortgagees, freeholders, head lessees, and joint owners, then declare on the portal that you've done this.

6. Pay the Part A fee. The non-refundable processing fee is paid online to complete the submission. A selective licence Part A is £529; additional HMO is £903; mandatory HMO starts at £1,036 and scales with unit count.

What "Duly Made" Means

An application becomes "duly made" under Section 63 (HMOs) or Section 87 (selective) of the Housing Act 2004 once all six steps are completed and the Part A fee is paid. This is an important legal milestone: Wandsworth says a valid application lets you legally let the property before receiving the licence. It does not guarantee a licence grant or change which possession grounds are available under current tenancy law.

Simply saving a draft on the portal does not make the application duly made. Nor does an unpaid submission. Until the application is complete and paid, you cannot rely on Wandsworth's confirmation that a valid application lets you legally let the property while the application is processed.

Processing Timeline

Wandsworth doesn't publish a guaranteed processing time. After your application is duly made, the council reviews your documents, may schedule a property inspection, and then issues a Draft Licence Notice (Notice of Intent) setting out the proposed conditions, occupancy limits, and licence duration.

You then have 14 calendar days to submit written representations if you disagree with any proposed conditions. After considering representations, the council issues the Final Licence Notice (Notice of Decision) alongside the Part B fee invoice.

From submission to final licence, the timeline typically runs several months — longer if there's a backlog or if the council requests additional documentation.

Common Application Mistakes

The most frequent causes of delay are floor plans that don't show room dimensions in square metres (not feet), missing PAT/EET declarations for supplied electrical appliances in HMOs, and incomplete interested-party notifications. Every document request from the council costs time, and two separate requests for missing documents automatically revokes any fee discounts you qualified for.

Our Wandsworth Landlord Licensing guide includes a document assembly checklist, floor plan specification guide, and portal walkthrough to help you submit a complete application on the first attempt.

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