Applying for an HMO licence in Ealing?
First-time HMO landlord, or up for renewal? Ealing's Additional HMO scheme and Selective Designation 1 both expire on 31 March 2027, and the council has consulted on a new additional scheme from April 2027. Now is the time to get your licence renewed or apply for the first time. We'll inspect your property, tell you exactly what needs fixing, and (if you'd like) submit the licence application for you. Inspections from £199, licence applications from £295. No jargon, no surprises.
Not sure if your Ealing property needs a licence? If you let to 3+ sharers, almost certainly yes.Ealing's Additional scheme covers smaller HMOs (3 or 4 sharers) borough-wide. Selective Designation 1 covers single-family lets in designated wards. Both expire 31 March 2027 — and the council has not yet published renewal designations. If your existing licence is expiring or you've never had one, you may already be operating unlicensed — with fines up to £40,000.
Which Ealing Licence Applies to You?
Ealing has multiple HMO licensing schemes running at the same time, and which one applies depends on how many people live in the property and where it sits in the borough. The table below explains each in plain English. Not sure where you fit? Send us the address and number of occupants on WhatsApp — we'll tell you in 5 minutes.
Mandatory
Required where 5 or more people from 2+ households share. Per-property fee plus per-room charge.
~£1,500 for a 5-bed shared houseAdditional
Required for any HMO of 3 or 4 people from 2+ households across the entire borough. Includes restricted Section 257 (3+ flats, all under same ownership). Renewal designation expected.
£1,300 + £50 per habitable room (£1,550 for 5-bed)Selective
Required for single-family or two-sharer lets. Uses pre-May 2022 ward boundaries — verify against the council's postcode checker.
£750 (£75 accreditation discount · £50 EPC C+ discount)Ealing's per-room additional licence fee structure is unusual — most boroughs charge a flat per-property fee or a per-room-only fee, not both. A 5-bedroom shared house with no separate living room comes to £1,550. There is also a 10% discount if licensing two or more flats in the same building. New 2026/27 fees are typically reviewed annually — confirm the current figure before applying. Council contact for licensing queries is [email protected] or 020 8825 9512.
Wide Net, Enforcement Just Tightening.
Ealing has around 36,000 privately rented homes — approximately 28% of the housing stock, above the London average. Stock-condition modelling found 22% of Ealing's PRS had at least one Category 1 hazard, against an English national average of around 13%. The council's licensing schemes were designed to close that gap, and after three years of "encourage to license," enforcement is the next phase.
Designation 2 (live 3 Jan 2023, expires 2 Jan 2028): Acton Central · Dormers Wells · Greenford Broadway · Greenford Green · Hanger Hill · Hobbayne · Lady Margaret · North Greenford · Northolt Mandeville · Northolt West End · Perivale · South Acton
Note: All wards listed by pre-May 2022 boundaries. The 2022 boundary review redrew ward maps, but the licensing designations still reference the old boundaries. Use the council's postcode search to verify scope.
How We De-Risk Your Application.
With Ealing's enforcement focus tightening and two schemes coming up for renewal, this is exactly the moment when an unlicensed property is most likely to be detected. Application Part A fees are non-refundable if a licence is refused — getting the property compliant before submission is the way to protect that money.
On-site inspection by an EHO. Full report against Ealing's licence conditions and the council's published amenity and room size standards. You get a prioritised action list, not a generic checklist.
Get a quoteWe complete and submit your Mandatory, Additional or Selective licence application via Ealing's online portal. Includes plan annotation, document collation and direct liaison with [email protected].
Get a quoteCommon Ealing HMO Setups.
Ealing's housing stock spans grand Edwardian semis in Ealing Broadway and Hanger Hill, dense Victorian terraces in Acton and Southall, post-war estates in Greenford and Northolt, and an emerging mix of newer flats around major transport hubs. The licence conditions are uniform but typical findings vary heavily by area.
ActonW3 · Acton Central · East Acton · South Acton
Mix of Victorian terraces and 1930s semis, with significant conversion-to-HMO activity over the last decade. East Acton has been under selective licensing since April 2022 — the council's enforcement focus here has been heavy. Common findings: bedrooms below the minimum, kitchen amenities undersized for occupancy, and EICRs that haven't kept pace with extension works.
SouthallUB1 · UB2 · Broadway · Green
Dense Victorian and Edwardian terraces, the heart of Ealing's selective licensing activity. Southall Broadway and Southall Green have been under selective licensing since April 2022. Common issues: severe overcrowding, damp and mould (now actionable under Awaab's Law from May 2026), and unauthorised loft conversions used as bedrooms without Building Regulations sign-off.
Greenford & NortholtUB6 · UB5 · Designation 2 wards
Mostly inter-war semi-detached housing converted to HMOs, often with rear extensions. Phase 2 selective live since January 2023. Typical issues: extension works without adequate fire-compartmentation, missing emergency lighting, and licence application paperwork that doesn't reflect actual current room layouts.
Ealing Broadway & Hanger HillW5 · Hanger Hill (Des. 2)
Mix of Edwardian semis and post-war flats. Hanger Hill has been under selective since January 2023. Common issues: large family homes converted to HMOs of 5+ where mandatory licensing applies, fire door upgrades on listed buildings, and Section 257 status questions for older converted blocks.
Perivale & West EalingUB6 · W13 · Hobbayne · Perivale
Suburban inter-war housing, often let to professional sharers and student households around the Park Royal corridor. Both wards in Designation 2. Typical issues are documentation-focused: undeclared occupancy levels, gas safety certificates not aligned to actual tenant occupancy dates, and fire risk assessments for converted blocks.
Questions Ealing Landlords Are Asking.
When does Ealing's current additional HMO licensing scheme expire?
Ealing's borough-wide additional HMO licensing scheme came into force on 1 April 2022 and expires on 31 March 2027. The council has consulted on a new borough-wide additional scheme to start in April 2027. Selective Designation 1 (covering East Acton, Southall Broadway and Southall Green) expires the same day. Operating an unlicensed HMO between expiry and reapplication is the same offence as never licensing in the first place.
How much does an HMO licence cost in Ealing?
Ealing Council charges £1,300 per property plus £50 per habitable room (bedroom or living room) for an additional licence — £1,550 for a 5-bedroom shared house with no separate living room. The mandatory HMO licence fee scales similarly and comes to around £1,500 for a 5-bedroom shared house occupied by 5 people. Selective licence applications are £750 per property, with a £75 accreditation discount, £50 EPC C+ discount, and a 10% discount if licensing two or more flats in the same building.
Which Ealing wards are covered by selective licensing?
Fifteen wards across two designations, all based on pre-May 2022 ward boundaries. Designation 1 (live 1 April 2022, expires 31 March 2027) covers East Acton, Southall Broadway and Southall Green. Designation 2 (live 3 January 2023, expires 2 January 2028) covers Acton Central, Dormers Wells, Greenford Broadway, Greenford Green, Hanger Hill, Hobbayne, Lady Margaret, North Greenford, Northolt Mandeville, Northolt West End, Perivale and South Acton. Use the council's postcode checker — the pre-May 2022 boundaries don't always match the current ward map.
Are Section 257 HMOs covered by Ealing's additional scheme?
Yes, but with a notable restriction. Ealing's additional licensing scheme covers Section 257 HMOs only where the building contains three or more flats, all flats are privately rented, and the building (and all flats within it) are in the same ownership or control — or considered by the council to be effectively under the same control. Mixed ownership blocks where some flats are owner-occupied are typically outside the scope of additional licensing in Ealing.
What's the penalty for operating an unlicensed HMO in Ealing?
Ealing Council can issue civil penalties of up to £40,000 per offence as an alternative to prosecution. Criminal prosecution carries an unlimited fine. Tenants can apply for Rent Repayment Orders to reclaim up to 12 months' rent under existing rules — extending to 24 months under the Renters' Rights Act 2025. Section 21 notices cannot be served on tenants of an unlicensed HMO. The council has stated publicly that it is moving from an "encourage to license" approach to focused enforcement and compliance — expect activity to step up.
Do you work with letting agents managing Ealing HMOs?
Yes — we work with letting agents and managing agents handling HMO portfolios. If you'd value an independent third-party compliance check rather than relying on your team's own walkthrough, get in touch about volume arrangements.