HMO licensing in Harrow

The published fee for a new HMO licence is £1,900. Fees can depend on the number of occupants or lettings, and they are reviewed each year.

Mandatory HMO licence: £1,900 total for a new application (£1,400 administration fee + £500 inspection fee); £1,343.80 for a renewal with no material change (£843.80 administration fee + £500 inspection fee). The same fee scale previously applied to additional HMO licences while that scheme was in force. Selective licence (for non-HMO privately rented homes in designated wards): £786 total (£686 administration fee + £100 management and enforcement fee), for both new applications and renewals. Section 257 (converted block of flats) licence fees are lower: £393 new / £278 renewal. No further discounts are published.

Check the current fee on the council website (harrow.gov.uk) 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.

• All habitable rooms must have adequate natural lighting via a clear glazed window equivalent to at least 1/10th of the floor area.
• A current fire risk assessment and adequate means of escape must be maintained, in line with the council's HMO Standards and Regulations and the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005.
• Smoke alarms must be installed and kept in proper working order throughout the HMO, with a declaration of condition and positioning provided to the council on demand.
• A carbon monoxide alarm is required in any room with a fixed combustion appliance.
• It is a criminal offence to allow a property to be occupied by more people than permitted under the licence; overcrowding carries an unlimited fine and other licence breaches can be fined up to £5,000 per offence.

• Adequate kitchen, bathroom and toilet facilities must be provided for the number of occupants specified on the licence.
• Gas installations must be checked annually by a Gas Safe engineer, with a current safety certificate held and provided to tenants and the council.
• Electrical installations must be maintained in a safe condition, consistent with the Electrical Safety Standards in the Private Rented Sector (England) Regulations 2020.
• Adequate waste and recycling storage must be provided for the number of occupants, in line with the council's waste collection scheme.
• Since 11 June 2026 an Article 4 Direction means planning permission is required for some HMOs (new licences from 12 June 2026 for up to 6 occupants, and all HMOs of more than 6 occupants); the council may grant a shorter licence (e.g. up to 1 year) where planning permission has not yet been obtained.

• Gas safety certificate (CP12) — Current annual certificate from a Gas Safe registered engineer.
• EICR — Electrical Installation Condition Report confirming the installation is safe, consistent with the 5-yearly private rented sector electrical safety regulations.
• EPC — Valid Energy Performance Certificate for the property.
• Planning permission evidence — Planning application reference/decision notice, or evidence of a pending application, required where the Article 4 Direction (from 11 June 2026) applies to the property.
• Fire risk assessment — Current assessment of means of escape, alarms and fire precautions.

• harrow.gov.uk
• harrow.gov.uk
• harrow.gov.uk
• harrow.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 Harrow before applying. This is general information, not legal advice.