HMO Property Compliance · All 33 London Boroughs
HMO Property Compliance in London
HMO compliance London means meeting national law and your borough’s licence conditions for every house in multiple occupation. SR Maintenance manages HMO compliance for your properties across all 33 London boroughs and the M25. We handle legal duties, manage inspections, perform safety checks, and keep the right records for each property. Our HMO compliance service also covers the work needed to meet statutory duties and licence conditions. We keep HMO property compliance on track for each property.
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Photo: Engineer reviewing compliance records outside an HMO property.
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What HMO compliance in London actually covers
HMO compliance covers the main licence and safety requirements for an HMO. HMO landlord compliance services also cover property standards, FRA, EICR, gas safety, EPC and other required assessments. SR Maintenance manages the programme, keeps requirements on track, and organises the evidence.
| Duty | Frequency / standard | Who delivers it |
|---|---|---|
| Mandatory HMO licence and conditions | 5-year licence | Landlord holds it. SR keeps you inspection-ready |
| Management Regulations 2006 duties | Ongoing | SR manages and evidences |
| Gas safety CP12 | Annual | SR, in-house |
| EICR / fixed-wire | 5-yearly, statutory floor | SR, in-house |
| Fire detection and alarm | BS 5839-6 grade per property | SR services, in-house |
| Emergency lighting | Annual test | SR, in-house |
| Fire doors | Periodic inspection | SR, in-house |
| Fire risk assessment | Per RRFSO 2005 | Dedicated HMO fire risk assessment service |
| PAT, landlord appliances | Periodic, based on condition | SR, in-house |
| EPC | Minimum standard to let | SR, in-house |
| Legionella risk assessment | Per ACoP L8 | Your specialist. SR coordinates |
SR Maintenance handles fire alarms, emergency lighting, fire doors, extinguishers, EICR, EPC, gas safety, and PAT testing in-house. Our dedicated service handles HMO fire risk assessments. Your specialists handle legionella and water work, with SR coordinating and tracking both.
Why a "legally compliant" HMO can still breach its licence
National HMO law provides the statutory floor. A borough licence adds its own conditions above that level. This creates a gap between national compliance and licence compliance. HMO statutory duties compliance covers the national requirements, but a property also needs to meet the conditions attached to its local licence. The licence needs direct review.
| Requirement | National statutory minimum | London licence condition |
|---|---|---|
| Single-room floor area | 6.51 m² (SI 2018/616) | ~7.5 m² in Westminster/Camden/Islington/Tower Hamlets/Brent |
| Double-room floor area | 10.22 m² (SI 2018/616) | ~11 m² in several inner boroughs |
| EICR cycle | 5-yearly (2020 Regs) | 5-yearly (no verified London borough mandates 3-yearly) |
| Fire-alarm servicing | Per BS 5839-6 | Annual inspection/servicing (Redbridge, Brent) |
| Emergency-lighting servicing | Annual (BS 5266) | Annual inspection/servicing (Redbridge) |
| PAT | Advisory | Annual certificate in some boroughs (e.g., Ealing) |
| Fire detection grade | Risk-based | Borough-specified per property (Grade D1/LD2 etc.) |
The three-year EICR claim lacks a verified London basis. The statutory maximum is five years, with earlier testing set by the inspection report. Local differences centre on room sizes and annual fire and emergency lighting servicing.
SR maintenance checks your licence against the HMO and tracks each local condition. This keeps the compliance record tied to your property and borough.
Mandatory, additional or selective: which HMO licence applies
HMO licensing has four separate routes, and each route has a different trigger. Mandatory licensing covers qualifying HMOs across England. Additional licensing depends on a borough scheme. Selective licensing covers private rented homes in designated areas, including properties that are not HMOs. Article 4 is a planning control, not a licensing tier.
| Tier | Legal basis | Trigger | What it means |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mandatory HMO | Housing Act 2004 s.55 | 5+ people, 2+ households, shared facilities | Licence required nationwide, no opt-out |
| Additional HMO | Housing Act 2004 s.56 | Smaller HMOs (typ. 3–4) in a designated area | Borough scheme, check your borough |
| Selective | Housing Act 2004 s.79–84 | All PRS in a designated area | Applies even to non-HMOs |
| Article 4 (planning) | GPDO 2015, Art 4 | C3 to C4 conversion in a designated area | Planning permission required to create the HMO |
SR focuses on the maintenance work linked to your HMO licence tier. It tracks inspections, servicing, certificates, renewal dates and recurring compliance tasks. The record stays tied to the property and its licence conditions, giving landlords a clear maintenance trail for ongoing HMO compliance.
HMO fire detection: getting the grade and category right
Fire detection forms part of HMO compliance London requirements. Grade covers system design and power supply. LD category covers detection coverage. The correct combination depends on the property, licence conditions and fire risk assessment.
Grade (system design)
Mains powered interlinked alarms with battery backup.
A full system with control panel, detectors and sounders to BS EN 54.
LD category (detection coverage)
Detection throughout the property.
Escape routes and high-risk rooms, including kitchen heat detection.
Escape routes only.
Small HMOs commonly use Grade D1, LD2. Larger or 3+ storey HMOs commonly use Grade A, LD2. Borough licence conditions and the fire risk assessment determine the required grade and category.
The HMO compliance calendar: different clocks, multiplied
HMO compliance management London involves many renewal cycles across each property. Gas safety, EICR, fire alarm servicing, emergency lighting, PAT and licence renewal all follow separate dates. Borough conditions add another layer of tracking across a portfolio.
| Duty | Standard clock | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Gas safety | Annual | Record to tenants |
| EICR | 5-yearly | The report sets earlier date where required |
| Fire-alarm servicing | Annual (borough-dependent) | Redbridge/Brent require annual servicing |
| Emergency lighting | Annual | Larger HMOs |
| PAT | Annual (borough-dependent) | Landlord-supplied appliances |
| Licence renewal | ~5-yearly | Varies by borough |
As the portfolio grows, each property brings separate dates, certificates and local conditions. SR audits the records, maps each duty, schedules work, coordinates delivery and records evidence. The free portfolio compliance audit starts the process.
How SR Maintenance manages HMO compliance across your portfolio
SR Maintenance audits each HMO, plans required work, schedules delivery, records compliance evidence, and tracks renewals. You have one point of contact for your whole portfolio.
Who we work with: HMO landlords across London
SR Maintenance supports landlords with one HMO or portfolios across London. We work with investors, rent-to-rent operators, letting agents, and student HMO landlords. Landlords contact us for licence renewals, council inspections, improvement notices, penalty threats, or new HMO purchases. We also support landlords after borough licensing changes or stricter licence conditions.
HMO Property compliance FAQs
HMO compliance covers the rules for running an HMO, including safety, management duties, and licence conditions. A licence alone does not confirm full compliance. A property can have a licence and still have:
- Missing records
- Expired checks
- Licence condition gaps
The licence depends on the property, number of occupiers, and borough.
- Mandatory licensing covers qualifying HMOs.
- Additional licensing depends on the borough scheme.
- Selective licensing applies to certain rented properties in covered areas.
The national minimum sleeping room sizes are:
- 6.51 m² for one person over 10
- 10.22 m² for two people over 10
- 4.64 m² for one child under 10
No. SR Maintenance does not submit HMO licence applications. SR Maintenance focuses on inspection readiness by:
- Tracking required checks
- Organising compliance records
- Highlighting gaps
- Keeping evidence together
Free Portfolio Compliance Audit
Book your free HMO portfolio compliance audit
We map your HMO portfolio against each borough’s licence conditions. You see exactly where you stand, including gaps in records, checks and property compliance.
Fire, electrical and gas safety delivered in-house
Asbestos, water hygiene and lifts coordinated and evidenced
All 33 London boroughs and the M25 corridor
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