Applying for an HMO licence in Hounslow?
First-time HMO landlord, or just unsure where to start? Hounslow's new borough-wide Additional HMO licensing scheme came into force on 11 December 2025. There's no Selective scheme here — just one type to worry about — but the Additional scheme covers HMOs of 3 or more people from 2+ households across the entire borough. We'll inspect your property before you apply, 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 Hounslow property needs a licence? If you let to 3+ sharers, yes.Hounslow's Additional HMO scheme covers any property let to 3 or more people from 2+ households — across the whole borough. There is no Selective scheme, so if you're letting to a single family or a couple you don't need a licence. But if you're running a shared-house arrangement and you don't yet have a licence, you may already be operating unlicensed — with fines up to £40,000 and tenants able to claim back up to 24 months' rent.
Which Hounslow Licence Applies to You?
Hounslow has the Additional scheme for shared-house HMOs and the Mandatory scheme for larger HMOs. Which one applies depends on how many people live in the property. 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. Standard test, self-contained flat test, or converted building test under Section 254 of the Housing Act 2004 applies.
£1,550 + £25 per householdAdditional
Required for any HMO of 3 or 4 people from 2+ households sharing facilities. Includes restricted Section 257 (3+ flats, all under same ownership). Replaces previous scheme that ended 31 July 2025.
£1,550 + £25 per householdSelective
Single-family and two-sharer lets do not require a licence in Hounslow. The council has not designated any selective licensing area. This makes Hounslow simpler than Brent, Lambeth or Ealing where most or all wards require selective licences.
No fee — no licence requiredHounslow's HMO licence fee structure is consistent across mandatory and additional schemes — £1,550 base fee plus £25 per household. A 5-household HMO comes to £1,675. There is a £95 discount if the licence holder or designated manager belongs to the London Landlord Accreditation Scheme, a recognised landlord association, or a relevant professional body. Council contact for licensing queries is [email protected].
Simpler Regime, Active Enforcement.
Around a third of Hounslow residents live in the private rented sector. The council had its first additional licensing scheme from 2014-2019, ran a 14-month gap, then introduced a borough-wide replacement on 1 August 2020 that ran until 31 July 2025. The current scheme — live since 11 December 2025 — is the third iteration, with the council openly stating it intends to maintain enforcement pressure.
This includes Hounslow Town, Brentford, Chiswick, Isleworth, Heston, Cranford, Feltham, Bedfont, Hanworth, and the rest of the borough. The 4-month gap between the previous scheme expiring (31 July 2025) and the new scheme starting (11 December 2025) does not exempt previously-licensed properties — your previous additional licence simply expired. The new scheme requires a fresh application.
How We De-Risk Your Application.
Hounslow's new scheme is just months in, and the council has been clear that enforcement is part of its strategy. With the £1,550 + £25/household fee non-refundable on application, the cost of a pre-application inspection is small compared to what's at stake on a refused or delayed application — particularly for properties with extensions, loft conversions, or older Section 257 building stock.
On-site inspection by an EHO. Full report against Hounslow'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 or Additional licence application via Hounslow's online portal. Includes plan annotation, document collation and direct liaison with [email protected].
Get a quoteCommon Hounslow HMO Setups.
Hounslow's housing stock spans Victorian and Edwardian terraces along the Great West Road corridor, large 1930s semis in Chiswick and Isleworth, post-war estates in Feltham and Bedfont, and a growing build-to-rent presence around Hounslow Town and Brentford. The licence conditions are uniform but typical findings vary heavily by area.
Hounslow Town & HestonTW3 · TW5 · Heathrow corridor
Dense Victorian and Edwardian terraces close to Heathrow employment, with significant HMO conversion activity. Common findings: bedrooms below the 6.51m² minimum, severe overcrowding driven by airport-shift-worker tenancies, and Section 257 blocks where the conversion paperwork from the 1980s no longer reflects current Building Regulations.
Brentford & ChiswickTW8 · W4 · River Thames corridor
Mix of grand Victorian villas, post-war flats, and emerging build-to-rent around Brentford. Many large semis converted to professional HMOs of 5+. Typical issues: fire compartmentation between flats in older converted blocks, EICRs that haven't kept pace with extension works, and licence applications that don't reflect actual current room layouts.
Isleworth & OsterleyTW7
Inter-war semis and mews properties, often converted to HMOs of 4-5 by buy-to-let investors over the last decade. Conservation-area constraints around Osterley Park affect external alterations and window upgrades. Typical issues: damp and mould (now actionable under Awaab's Law from May 2026), and missing interlinked smoke alarms.
Feltham & BedfontTW13 · TW14 · Heathrow proximity
Mostly post-war estates and 1960s-70s housing converted to HMOs to serve airport and logistics workers. Highest concentration of bedsit-style HMOs in the borough. Common findings: kitchen and bathroom amenities undersized for occupancy, fire doors that aren't certified FD30S, and undeclared occupancy levels.
Cranford & HanworthTW4 · TW13 · Western edge
Mostly inter-war semi-detached housing, often with rear extensions. Less licensing activity historically than Hounslow Town or Heston. Typical issues: extension works without adequate fire-compartmentation, gas safety certificates not aligned to actual tenant occupancy dates, and Section 257 status questions for older converted blocks.
Questions Hounslow Landlords Are Asking.
When did Hounslow's new additional HMO licensing scheme come into force?
Hounslow's new borough-wide additional HMO licensing scheme came into force on 11 December 2025 and runs for five years until 10 December 2030. It replaced the previous additional scheme which ended on 31 July 2025 — a 4-month gap during which only mandatory HMO licensing applied. The scheme was designated by the council on 11 September 2025 and applies borough-wide to any HMO with 3 or more persons from 2+ households sharing facilities, plus certain Section 257 converted blocks.
How much does an HMO licence cost in Hounslow?
Hounslow Council's HMO licence application fee is £1,550 per property, plus £25 per household. A 5-household HMO comes to £1,675. There is a £95 discount if the licence holder or designated manager is a member of the London Landlord Accreditation Scheme, a recognised landlord association, or a relevant professional body. The same fee structure applies to mandatory and additional licences. Fees are subject to annual review — confirm the current figure before applying.
Does Hounslow have selective licensing?
No. Hounslow Council does not currently operate any selective licensing scheme — single-family and two-sharer lets do not require a licence. Only HMOs (3+ persons from 2+ households sharing facilities) need a licence, under either the mandatory scheme (5+ occupants, national rules) or the borough-wide additional scheme that came into force on 11 December 2025. This makes Hounslow one of the simpler London boroughs to navigate compared to Brent, Lambeth or Ealing where selective licensing covers most or all wards.
Are Section 257 HMOs covered by Hounslow's additional scheme?
Yes, but with restrictions. Hounslow's additional scheme covers Section 257 HMOs only where: the conversion did not comply with the 1991 Building Regulations and still does not comply; less than two-thirds of the flats are owner-occupied; AND all units are privately rented and the building (and all flats within it) are either in the same ownership or considered by the council to be effectively in the same control. Mixed-ownership blocks where some flats are owner-occupied are typically outside the scope of additional licensing in Hounslow.
What's the penalty for operating an unlicensed HMO in Hounslow?
Hounslow 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 issued formal and informal enforcement interventions since the original scheme launched in August 2020.
Do you work with letting agents managing Hounslow 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.