There are currently three licensing schemes operating in Hammersmith & Fulham. We will help you choose the right licence for your property:
1. Mandatory HMO licence
You will need a mandatory HMO licence if your property meets the standard test, self-contained flat test or converted building test HMO definition in section 254 of the Housing Act 2004 and is occupied by five or more people.
But what are these tests and what does this mean in practice? It means you need a licence for any house or flat that is occupied by five or more people who are not all related and live in the property as their main home. For example, it includes:
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Shared houses and flats occupied by students and young professionals;
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Properties converted into bedsits with some shared facilities; and
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Properties converted into a mixture of self-contained and non self-contained accommodation.
Prior to 1 October 2018, the mandatory HMO licensing scheme only applied to properties that were three or more storeys in height, but that restriction has now been lifted.
The government have decided to exclude purpose built self-contained flats within a block comprising three or more self-contained flats from the mandatory HMO licensing scheme. While this will be good news for some landlords, it does make the licensing scheme far more complicated.
To find out more, you can read our free guide to mandatory HMO licensing (here).
2. Additional licence
You will need an additional licence if your property is let as a House in Multiple Occupation that does not fall within the remit of the mandatory HMO licensing scheme. The scheme applies to all HMOs occupied by three or more people who are not all related.
The House in Multiple Occupation definition is not straightforward and you will need to study it carefully or seek advice. For example, Hammersmith & Fulham Council have included ‘section 257 HMOs’ within the additional licensing scheme. These are properties that:
a) have been converted into self-contained flats; and
b) less than two thirds of the flats are owner occupied; and
c) the conversion did not comply with the relevant Building Regulations in force at that time and still does not comply.
Under the new scheme that started on 5 June 2022, licensing of section 257 HMOs is restricted to properties where none of the flats are owner occupied, the building is not owned or managed by two or more of the leasehold owners of individual flats within it (either acting individually or through a management company of which they are directors or officers), and the property is not in a designated selective licensing area. This is a complex area of law and you may need further advice.
To find out more, you can read our free guide to additional licensing (here).
3. Selective Licence
You will need a selective licence if your property (house or flat) is let out to a single person, single household or two unrelated people and is on one of the designated streets.
Until 4 June 2022, there were 128 streets within the selective licensing scheme. However, under the new scheme that started on 5 June 2022, selective licensing is restricted to 24 streets. This includes 16 streets that were previously subject to licensing and 8 new streets, as listed below:
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Askew Road
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Baron's Court Road (new to scheme)
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Bloemfontein Road
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Blythe Road (new to scheme)
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Coningham Road (new to scheme)
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Crookham Road (new to scheme)
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Dalling Road
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Dawes Road
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Fulham Road
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Goldhawk Road
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Greyhound Road (new to scheme)
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King Street
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Lime Grove
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New King's Road
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North End Road
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Richmond Way (new to scheme)
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Scrubs Lane
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Shepherd's Bush Road
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Sinclair Road (new to scheme)
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Talgarth Road
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Uxbridge Road
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Wandsworth Bridge Road (new to scheme)
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Wood Lane
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Woodstock Grove
You can also view the list of streets on the council’s website.
To find out more, you can read our free guide to selective licensing (here).
You can view the public notices for the additional and selective licensing schemes in the ‘More information’ box on the top right of this page.