Additional HMO licensing in Hounslow

Common questions

What the designation says

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 £40,000 or prosecution, and exposes the landlord to a rent repayment order for up to two years' rent for offences on or after 1 May 2026 (12 months before that date). The £40,000 ceiling applies to offences committed on or after 1 May 2026; the £30,000 ceiling still applies to offences committed before that date.

What this means for a landlord

A licence must be in place before the property is let, not applied for afterwards. Operating unlicensed in a designated area is a criminal offence: a civil penalty of up to £40,000 per offence and a rent repayment order of up to two years' rent. Both maxima apply to conduct on or after 1 May 2026; before that date they were £30,000 and twelve months. Section 21 was abolished on 1 May 2026 and possession now runs through the amended section 8 grounds. Mandatory HMO licensing applies separately and everywhere, wherever a property is let to five or more people forming two or more households.

Hounslow's own licensing page →