News
Substantial rise in HMO licensing fees in Hillingdon
Research by London Property Licensing has found a substantial rise in HMO licensing fees in the London Borough of Hillingdon, with the biggest impact on landlords renewing an existing licence.
For licence applications submitted before 1 April 2021, the HMO licence application fee was £980. Landlords renewing an existing HMO licence were charged a reduced fee of £735 in recognition of the simpler approval process.
A new fee structure has been implemented for all applications received on or after on 1 April 2021.
The application fee for a new HMO licence has increased from £980 to £1,100, an increase of 10%.
The application fee for renewing an existing licence has increased from £735 to £1,100, an increase of 50%.
It is not known why the fees have been increased by so much, nor why licence renewals no longer attract a lower fee.
According to research by London Property Licensing, in London, the average mandatory HMO licensing fee for a shared house occupied by five people has increased over 43% in the last six years. As of April 2021, the average fee had increased to £1,292.
A free guide containing more detailed information about property licensing and HMO planning rules in the London Borough of Hillingdon is available here.
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