HMO licence fee from £1,411 in Richmond upon Thames. Mandatory licensing applies from 5 occupants. Apply before letting to avoid a £30,000 fine.
HMO Licensing in Richmond upon Thames: The Complete Compliance Guide for Private Landlords
Richmond upon Thames Council requires landlords to obtain a mandatory HMO licence before tenants move in. The baseline fee for a 5-year mandatory licence is £1,411, and failure to hold a valid licence before occupation begins is a criminal offence carrying an unlimited fine in the magistrates' court or a civil penalty of up to £30,000.
What Triggers the HMO Licensing Requirement in Richmond upon Thames?
Mandatory HMO licensing is triggered under the Housing Act 2004 when a property is occupied by 5 or more persons forming 2 or more separate households, across 3 or more storeys, and shared facilities such as a kitchen or bathroom are in use. Since the government extended mandatory licensing in October 2018, the 3-storey rule was removed for properties with 5 or more occupants — meaning a single-storey flat housing 5 unrelated people now requires a mandatory licence in Richmond upon Thames, just as it does across England.
Separately, Richmond upon Thames operates additional and selective licensing schemes. Landlords should check the council's postcode checker, as additional licensing can apply to smaller HMOs of 3 or 4 occupants in designated wards, effectively lowering the trigger threshold from 5 to 3 occupants within those areas. Designated zones are reviewed periodically and the current scheme boundaries must be confirmed directly with the council, as boundaries can change on renewal cycles of up to 5 years.
What Does an HMO Licence Cost in Richmond upon Thames?
The mandatory HMO licence fee in Richmond upon Thames is structured in two parts, which is standard practice for London borough councils. The non-refundable processing fee (Part A) covers the administrative cost of assessing your application and is paid upfront; the licence issue fee (Part B) is due only upon approval. The combined 5-year fee starts at approximately £1,411 for a standard 5-person property, with the fee increasing for properties with higher occupancy. Each additional occupant above 5 typically attracts a supplementary charge of around £50 to £100.
Landlords who hold accreditation through a recognised scheme such as the London Landlord Accreditation Scheme (LLAS) may qualify for a discount of up to 10% on the Part B fee. Given that the Part B element can represent over 60% of the total fee, this discount is worth pursuing before submitting your application. Accreditation requires completion of a one-day training course, which currently costs £149 for new applicants.
How Do You Apply for an HMO Licence in Richmond upon Thames?
Applications are submitted online through Richmond upon Thames Council's licensing portal. The process involves completing a detailed property and management form, uploading supporting documents, and paying the Part A fee at the point of submission. Processing times currently run to approximately 8 to 12 weeks, though more complex applications or those requiring inspection can take longer. A licence, once granted, is valid for up to 5 years but can be issued for a shorter period if the council has concerns about management standards.
You must apply in your own name as the licence holder if you are the freeholder or the person in control of the property. Where a managing agent handles day-to-day management, both the licence holder and the proposed manager must be declared, and the manager must also pass the fit and proper person assessment.
What Documents Do You Need to Submit?
Every HMO licence application for a Richmond upon Thames property requires a current gas safety certificate (valid within 12 months), an electrical installation condition report (EICR) confirming the installation is satisfactory and dated within the past 5 years, and an energy performance certificate (EPC). You will also need floor plans showing room dimensions, as minimum room sizes apply — a room used as sleeping accommodation by a single adult must be at least 6.51 square metres, and a room shared by 2 adults must be at least 10.22 square metres under the Licensing of Houses in Multiple Occupation (Mandatory Conditions of Licences) (England) Regulations 2018.
A fire safety risk assessment, evidence of smoke and carbon monoxide alarm provision, and furniture fire safety compliance evidence are also required. Where the property has a communal TV aerial or the landlord provides contents insurance, documentation relating to those should be retained even if not submitted upfront, as the council may request them during assessment.
What Are the Penalties for Not Having an HMO Licence?
Operating without a licence in Richmond upon Thames is a serious offence. The council can impose a civil penalty of up to £30,000 per offence as an alternative to prosecution. Prosecution in the magistrates' court carries an unlimited fine. In addition, a rent repayment order (RRO) allows tenants — or the local authority — to reclaim up to 12 months' rent paid during the unlicensed period. With average room rents in Richmond upon Thames running above £900 per calendar month, a 5-bedroom unlicensed HMO could face an RRO exposure of over £54,000 across a 12-month period.
Conviction or a civil penalty notice also results in a banning order consideration under the Housing and Planning Act 2016, and entry onto the database of rogue landlords maintained by the government, which is accessible to all local authorities. A banning order prevents you from letting residential property in England for a minimum of 1 year.
What Does This Mean for Landlords Operating in Richmond upon Thames?
Richmond upon Thames is one of the higher-cost London boroughs for HMO compliance, with licence fees, mandatory fire safety upgrades, and room-size enforcement all active priorities for the council's private sector housing team. The borough's median private rent for a room in a shared property exceeded £1,000 per calendar month as of 2024, which means the rent repayment order risk is proportionally higher here than in many other areas.
Landlords who already hold a licence must apply for renewal at least 2 months before expiry, and should not assume automatic renewal — the council will reassess fit and proper person status and may request a fresh inspection. The 5-year licence cycle means landlords who licensed in 2020 are already in or approaching their renewal window. Check your licence expiry date now, budget the £1,411 renewal fee, and ensure all certificates are within their validity periods before reapplying.
| Council | Licence Type | Fee (5-year) | Occupancy Threshold | Scheme Expiry | Accreditation Discount |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Richmond upon Thames | Mandatory HMO | £1,411 | 5+ persons | Rolling (statutory) | Up to 10% (LLAS) |
| Wandsworth | Mandatory HMO | £1,350 | 5+ persons | Rolling (statutory) | Up to 10% (LLAS) |
| Kingston upon Thames | Mandatory HMO | £1,280 | 5+ persons | Rolling (statutory) | Up to 10% (LLAS) |
| Hounslow | Mandatory HMO | £1,490 | 5+ persons | Rolling (statutory) | Up to 10% (LLAS) |
| Merton | Mandatory HMO + Additional | £1,395 | 3+ persons (additional zones) | Rolling (statutory) | Up to 10% (LLAS) |
| Sutton | Mandatory HMO | £1,200 | 5+ persons | Rolling (statutory) | 5% (LLAS) |
| Croydon | Mandatory HMO + Selective | £1,450 | 5+ persons / 1+ (selective zones) | Rolling (statutory) | Up to 10% (LLAS) |
The mandatory HMO licence fee in Richmond upon Thames starts at approximately £1,411 for a 5-year licence covering a standard 5-person property, with supplementary charges of around £50 to £100 per additional occupant above 5.
A mandatory licence is required from 5 occupants, but Richmond upon Thames also operates additional licensing schemes in certain wards that can lower the threshold to 3 or more occupants — check the council's postcode checker, as the zone boundaries apply to specific streets and postcodes.
You face a civil penalty of up to £30,000, an unlimited fine if prosecuted in the magistrates' court, and a rent repayment order for up to 12 months' rent — which in Richmond upon Thames could exceed £54,000 for a 5-bedroom property at current room rental rates.
Richmond upon Thames Council currently processes standard HMO licence applications in approximately 8 to 12 weeks from the date of a complete submission, though properties requiring a site inspection may take longer and should allow a minimum of 3 months from application to grant.