HMO licensing in Camden

The published fee for a new HMO licence is £1,570, and £1,570 to renew. Fees can depend on the number of occupants or lettings, and they are reviewed each year.

From Camden Council’s official ‘HMO licensing fees 2026/27’ schedule, effective from 15 January 2026, applying to both mandatory and additional HMO licences. For a house or flat in multiple occupation (section 254) or a converted building into flats (section 257): Part 1 (application) £1,318 + Part 2 (grant of licence) £252 = total £1,570 for a new application; renewal applications are charged at the same rate (£1,570). Purpose-built student accommodation is charged £1,318 + £65 = £1,383. Part 1 is non-refundable once an application progresses past the initial phase; Part 2 is refunded if the application is later withdrawn or refused. A £100 discount off Part 2 applies to private landlord licence holders (not companies or managing agents) who are accredited at the time of application. Licences generally run for 5 years, reduced to 2 years in certain circumstances such as an incomplete application, with no fee reduction for the shorter term.

Fee source: camden.gov.uk (checked 2 October 2026). Fees change during the year, so check the council before you apply.

Fees for council-designated schemes are set separately from the mandatory HMO fee. Figures are the standard full-rate fee for a new licence, before any discounts.

National minimums for licensed HMOs are 6.51 m² for one adult and 10.22 m² for two adults; councils can apply higher local standards.

• A valid application must include a floor plan and a current EICR (issued within the last 5 years by an approved electrical competent person); gas safety certificates are required where applicable.
• Camden's HMO Standards set out fire precaution requirements consistent with national HMO Management Regulations, assessed at inspection alongside the Housing Health and Safety Rating System (HHSRS).
• No smaller-than-standard bedroom is accepted without the council being satisfied on layout and access to communal living/storage space; inner rooms and basements without natural light/ventilation are treated as a breach of the Fitness for Human Habitation Act 2018.

• No more than two persons may occupy any room regardless of size, and a double room may only be occupied by one household.
• Bedroom sizes are assessed on useable floor space: low headroom (below 1.5m), narrow space behind the door, and space taken up by ensuite facilities or balconies are all discounted from the calculation.
• A bedroom used exclusively for sleeping must have sufficient useable space for a bed, bedside table, wardrobe, chest of drawers, desk and chair, plus safe circulation space.
• Where an HMO lacks communal living space, individual bedrooms/bedsits must be large enough to be multifunctional (eating, relaxing, studying) in addition to sleeping.

• Gas safety certificate (CP12) — Required if gas is applicable to the property; part of a valid/complete application.
• EICR — Electrical Installation Condition Report issued within the last 5 years by an approved electrical competent person registered as specifically competent to carry out inspection and testing.
• Floor plans — Required as part of every valid HMO licence application.
• Fully completed application form and fit-and-proper declaration — Required with the correct fee; incomplete applications may be rejected as not 'duly made' or result in a 1-year licence.

• camden.gov.uk
• camden.gov.uk
• camden.gov.uk

Compiled from the council’s own published pages and documents; data reviewed September 2026. Rules and fees change, so always confirm with London Borough of Camden before applying. This is general information, not legal advice.