London · Council licensing
Landlord licensing in Hounslow
✓ Hand-verified 24 Aug 2026Hounslow operates discretionary property licensing. Letting an unlicensed property where a scheme applies risks a civil penalty of up to £30,000 and a rent repayment order — check whether your property is covered below.
Required for any HMO let to 5 or more people forming 2+ households who share facilities.
Hounslow sets this fee under section 63(3) of the Housing Act 2004. Its current charge is not yet recorded here.
The council’s own licensing page carries the charge that applies today — confirm it there before you budget.
Not established is not the same as free.
Hounslow does not operate a selective licensing scheme. Selective licensing would require every privately rented home in a designated area to hold a licence regardless of how many people occupy it, and no such designation is in force in any part of the borough. A landlord letting an ordinary self-contained flat or a single-family house in Hounslow therefore needs no licence on selective grounds. Additional licensing does apply borough-wide, so any shared house occupied by three or more people forming two or more households will still need a licence, as will any property falling within the mandatory HMO regime.
Hounslow operates a borough-wide additional licensing scheme that came into force on 11 December 2025 and runs for five years. It covers every ward in the borough. A licence is required for any house in multiple occupation let to three or more people forming two or more households who share a kitchen, bathroom or toilet, which brings smaller shared houses within licensing well below the five-occupant threshold of the mandatory regime. The designation also captures section 257 HMOs — certain converted blocks of flats where the conversion did not meet the Building Regulations in force at the time and fewer than two thirds of the flats are owner-occupied. The published fee is £1,550 per property plus £25 for each household, with a £95 reduction for accredited landlords. Letting a licensable HMO without a licence carries a civil penalty of up to £30,000 or prosecution, and exposes the landlord to a rent repayment order for up to twelve months of rent.
Areas: Borough-wide
One payment.
| Each household in the HMO | £25 |
Hounslow, read 24 August 2026
Scheme runs until: 10 December 2030
Common questions
Does Hounslow have a selective licensing scheme?
No. Hounslow does not currently operate a selective licensing scheme. Mandatory HMO licensing still applies wherever a property is let to five or more people forming two or more households.
Does Hounslow have an additional HMO licensing scheme?
Yes. Hounslow operates an additional HMO licensing scheme. Letting a property covered by it without a licence risks a civil penalty of up to £30,000, a rent repayment order of up to twelve months' rent, and the loss of the right to serve a section 21 notice.
Do I need an HMO licence in Hounslow?
A mandatory HMO licence is required anywhere in England and Wales, including Hounslow, where a property is let to five or more people forming two or more households who share basic amenities. Smaller shared houses may also need a licence where an additional licensing scheme applies.
- Free landlord compliance check — five questions, no account
- Tenancy agreement checker — findings cited to the Act and section
Additional HMO licensing in Hounslow: areas, dates and fees →
All property licensing in London →
Source: Hounslow licensing page →
Every landlord in Hounslow also needs
A valid Gas Safety certificate (annual), an EICR (every 5 years), a valid EPC, a protected deposit, smoke & CO alarms, the Renters' Rights Act Information Sheet, and a current How to Rent guide — plus the new Section 8 possession rules since Section 21 was abolished on 1 May 2026.
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