Local HMO compliance enquiry route
HMO Certificate Enquiries in Ealing
Prepare the separate inspection records needed for an Ealing HMO licence application, renewal, property review or proposed change of use. The useful starting point is the exact address, present or proposed occupiers, household relationships, shared facilities, room layout and planning position. Ealing requires different licence routes for larger shared HMOs, smaller HMOs and some converted buildings, while gas, electrical, energy, fire alarm and emergency lighting documents retain their own scope. Send the council application wording, existing certificates, floor plan, access contacts and deadline so each enquiry can be matched to the relevant dwelling, letting and common areas.
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Build the Ealing application file around the actual property
Ealing lists specific supporting documents for a valid property licence application. The gas record, electrical report, EPC, floor plan and any required fire alarm or emergency lighting evidence must describe the same HMO arrangement, not several inconsistent versions of the building.
Occupiers, households and shared facilities
State how many people will live at the property, how they are related, which kitchens, bathrooms or WCs are shared and whether the request concerns a shared house, bedsits, a flat or another HMO arrangement.
Licence and conversion route
Identify whether the council request concerns mandatory, additional or section 257 licensing. For converted buildings, include the number of self-contained flats and any Building Regulations completion evidence.
Application documents and layout
Prepare the current gas record, complete electrical report, whole-HMO EPC and a floor plan showing room sizes, uses, doors and windows. Include fire alarm or emergency lighting paperwork where the application requires it.
Residents, keys and complete access
Name the tenant, manager, agent, concierge or key-holder who can provide lawful entry to bedrooms, kitchens, common stairs, consumer units, meters, boilers, alarm equipment and any external service areas in scope.
Ealing HMO enquiries vary between conversions, high streets and planning boundaries
Ealing Broadway, West Ealing, Hanwell and Acton include Victorian and Edwardian houses divided into flats or rooms, maisonettes, flats above shops and purpose-built blocks. A single entrance may lead to several lettings, while boilers, meters, consumer units and alarm controls may sit in basements, rear additions or freeholder-managed common parts. State the exact unit and every area included. For North Acton and Park Royal addresses, check whether the property falls within the Old Oak and Park Royal Development Corporation planning area rather than assuming the borough route from the postal address.
Southall, Greenford, Northolt and Perivale include terraces, semi-detached houses, shopfront properties, converted buildings and newer flats with different household and access arrangements. Perivale received the earlier HMO Article 4 direction, while the later direction covers the rest of Ealing outside the separate OPDC area. For Southall Broadway, Southall Green, Greenford town centre and Northolt estates, record rear or side access, controlled parking, several occupiers, waste storage and any landlord-controlled escape route only where they genuinely affect the property.
Match each Ealing document to the council requirement it answers
Ealing currently asks applicants to prepare a gas safety certificate, electrical installation report, EPC and floor plan. HMO applications may also need automatic fire detection and emergency lighting certificates. These records cannot be merged into a single HMO certificate because each assesses a different installation or property boundary.
Gas safety record
Ealing says the gas certificate must be dated within the last 12 months and cover every gas appliance at the property. Send the appliance list, locations and any evidence that previously recorded At Risk or Immediately Dangerous work has been completed.
Electrical installation report
The council asks for a report dated within five years, marked Satisfactory and supplied with every page. Identify all dwelling and landlord consumer units so the inspection boundary is clear before the visit.
Whole-HMO EPC and floor plan
Ealing states that one EPC for the whole HMO is required rather than separate room EPCs. The application plan should show room dimensions, doors, windows and uses, with detector positions added where relevant.
Fire alarm and emergency lighting
Describe the installed detection grade, panel, detectors, sounders, escape route and emergency lighting. An automatic fire detection certificate and an emergency lighting certificate are separate records and may both be needed for an HMO.
Which Ealing licensing and planning guidance applies to this HMO?
Ealing's current additional HMO scheme began on 1 April 2022 and is due to expire on 31 March 2027. The council is consulting from 15 July to 24 September 2026 on future additional licensing, but a proposal is not the same as a commenced replacement scheme. Current guidance identifies mandatory licensing for qualifying five-plus-occupier HMOs, additional licensing for many three- or four-occupier HMOs and separate section 257 considerations for some converted buildings.
Planning remains a separate address-level check. Ealing's HMO Article 4 direction took effect in Perivale on 30 October 2024 and across the rest of the borough, excluding the separately controlled OPDC area, on 14 November 2025. The council's application guidance also sets precise document rules for gas, electrical, EPC and floor-plan evidence. London Landlord Certifications can route safety-record enquiries but does not determine licence eligibility, planning consent or document acceptance.
Turn an Ealing HMO request into a coordinated inspection schedule
1. Confirm the current licence route
Use Ealing Council's live postcode and licence guidance for the occupiers, households, facilities and conversion type. Keep any application, renewal or existing licence reference with the property brief.
2. Check planning for the exact address
Separate licence eligibility from the C3-to-C4 planning question. Check the borough Article 4 position and whether the address sits in the separate OPDC planning area before relying on earlier use or permission.
3. Align documents, rooms and access
Compare the gas record, electrical report, EPC and floor plan, then list any alarm or lighting evidence. Arrange access to every included room, common part, meter, board, appliance and safety system.
Practical HMO certificate questions for Ealing properties
Is there one HMO certificate for an Ealing licence application?
No. The licence application can require separate gas, electrical, EPC, floor-plan, automatic fire detection and emergency lighting evidence. Each document has its own inspection scope, date and acceptance criteria.
Which Ealing HMOs currently need additional licensing?
Ealing Council says many HMOs occupied by three or four unrelated people require an additional HMO licence, while qualifying properties with five or more occupiers use mandatory licensing. Check the current postcode and property details because exemptions and converted-building rules may affect the route.
What documents does Ealing request for a valid HMO application?
The council lists a current gas safety certificate, a complete Satisfactory electrical installation report dated within five years, an A-to-E EPC for the whole HMO and floor plans. HMO applicants may also need automatic fire detection and emergency lighting certificates.
Does an Ealing HMO licence prove that planning permission is in place?
No. Licensing and planning are separate. Article 4 controls mean a C3 dwelling changing to a small C4 HMO needs planning permission across Ealing, with distinct direction arrangements for Perivale, the rest of the borough and the OPDC area.
Does Ealing's 2026 licensing consultation change the current application today?
The consultation concerns proposals for the scheme that may follow the current arrangements. Until the council confirms and commences any replacement designation, use the live licence guidance and postcode checker for the property at the time of application.
Need to organise certificate evidence for an Ealing HMO?
Send the full Ealing address, occupier and household numbers, shared facilities, licence wording, planning information, floor plan, gas and electrical records, EPC, alarm or emergency lighting request, access contacts and deadline. The work can then be separated into the correct inspection routes.