Local HMO compliance enquiry route
HMO Certificate Enquiries in Hammersmith and Fulham
Prepare the separate safety records needed for an HMO licence application, renewal, managed-property review or new shared letting in Hammersmith and Fulham. The council licenses qualifying HMOs through mandatory and additional routes, but a property licence is not a single safety certificate. Send the exact address, number of occupiers and households, shared facilities, room and conversion arrangement, current council instructions, existing reports, planning information, access contacts and deadline. This lets gas, electrical, fire, alarm and other enquiries be matched to the correct dwelling, common parts and installed systems.
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Start with the licence route, property layout and people living there
The council application portal uses the property information supplied to identify the licence type and points applicants to a current evidence list. Confirm the present arrangement before arranging inspections, particularly where a flat, basement, shopfront or common entrance makes the boundary unclear.
Occupiers and households
State how many people live or will live at the address, how they are related and which kitchen, bathroom, WC or living facilities are shared. Distinguish a family household from unrelated sharers.
Dwelling and conversion arrangement
Explain whether the property is a shared house, flat, bedsit arrangement, maisonette, purpose-built block or converted building. Identify self-contained units, shared entrances and landlord-controlled common parts.
Council and planning information
Send the application, renewal or licence-condition wording, reference and due date. Keep any planning decision, existing-use evidence, lease restriction or proposed C3-to-C4 change as a separate address-level question.
Records and complete access
List the gas, EICR, fire-risk, alarm, emergency-lighting or other evidence requested and attach current reports. Name the resident, agent, concierge, freeholder or key-holder coordinating lawful entry.
HMO access can change from a Fulham terrace to a White City block
Fulham, Parsons Green, Sands End and West Kensington include terraced houses, mansion flats, maisonettes and conversions where bedrooms may sit above rear additions or below pavement level. Give the flat or house, floor, entrance and every room included in the HMO. If a basement contains a bedroom, kitchen, boiler, meter or consumer unit, identify its use and access rather than treating it as storage. Leasehold blocks can also place fire alarms, intake equipment and escape routes under a freeholder or managing agent rather than the occupier.
Hammersmith, Barons Court, Shepherd's Bush and White City include homes above shops, converted villas, estates and newer managed developments. Record any shop or service entrance, concierge procedure, contractor registration, controlled parking and resident notice needed for the visit. Around borough boundaries, a familiar neighbourhood name may not identify the responsible council, while a mixed-use address can contain separate domestic, landlord and commercial installations. The full postal address and system ownership are therefore more useful than the district alone.
Keep licence evidence tied to the installation it actually examines
Hammersmith and Fulham licence conditions address gas safety, electrical installations, alarms and property management, while the council also publishes detailed HMO amenity and fire-safety guidance. Each inspection has a different purpose. The live application or renewal request should determine which records are needed for the individual property.
Gas safety record
Where gas is supplied, list every domestic appliance, the dwelling or shared area it serves, meter, boiler and flue access and the date of the current record. Separate any catering, shop or other commercial gas installation.
Electrical installation report
Identify all consumer units, fixed-wiring areas and landlord supplies included in the request. Attach the complete EICR and any remedial evidence; portable appliances are not covered by an EICR.
Fire precautions and alarms
Describe the escape route, doors, smoke or heat detection, panel, sounders and any emergency lighting. A fire risk assessment, alarm inspection and emergency-lighting record are separate services.
Plans, rooms and common parts
Keep the room uses, dimensions, facilities and common-part boundary consistent across the application and inspection brief. A plan provides context but does not certify gas, electrics or fire systems.
Which Hammersmith and Fulham licensing and planning rules apply?
Hammersmith and Fulham approved a borough-wide additional HMO licensing designation from 5 June 2022 for five years, covering HMOs outside mandatory licensing. Council material describes an HMO as a property occupied by at least three unrelated people in two or more households, while mandatory licensing applies to qualifying properties with five or more occupiers. The application portal determines the licence route from the submitted property information and directs applicants to its current supporting-document guidance.
Planning is separate from licensing. In February 2026, the council approved work towards a non-immediate Article 4 direction for changes from C3 homes to C4 small HMOs, including an evidence study, publication and consultation, with later Cabinet confirmation required. Do not present that decision as an already operative restriction. London Landlord Certifications can route enquiries for requested safety records but does not determine licence eligibility, planning consent or council acceptance.
Turn the council request into a clear HMO evidence schedule
1. Confirm the current licence route
Use the council application guidance for the address, occupiers, households, shared facilities and any exemption. Retain the application or renewal reference and exact evidence list.
2. Check planning and lease restrictions
Review the current planning position, planning history and any freeholder restriction separately. The council is progressing a non-immediate HMO Article 4 direction, so recheck its status before relying on permitted development.
3. Coordinate reports and access
List each required record, the area and installation it covers, expiry or inspection date and earlier findings. Arrange entry to every included room, meter, board, appliance and safety system.
Practical HMO certificate questions for Hammersmith and Fulham properties
Is there one HMO certificate for a Hammersmith and Fulham licence application?
No. The property licence and its supporting safety records have different purposes. Gas safety, EICR, fire risk, alarm and emergency-lighting evidence must be scoped separately, and the live council application determines which documents are relevant.
Which HMOs need licensing in Hammersmith and Fulham?
The council licenses qualifying HMOs across the borough. A property with five or more occupiers forming two or more households normally follows mandatory licensing, while the additional scheme covers smaller HMOs outside that route, including many properties with three or four unrelated sharers. Check the individual property and exemptions.
How long does the current additional HMO scheme run?
The council approved the present additional HMO licensing designation from 5 June 2022 for five years, taking it into June 2027 unless changed earlier. Check the live council position before an application or renewal near the end of the scheme.
Does a small HMO currently need planning permission in Hammersmith and Fulham?
The council's February 2026 decision began a non-immediate Article 4 process for C3-to-C4 changes and said later Cabinet confirmation would be required after publication and consultation. That decision alone is not proof that the restriction is already in force. Check the current direction, planning history and exact address before changing use.
What should I send before arranging HMO inspections?
Send the full address, occupiers and households, shared facilities, room layout, application or renewal instructions, existing gas and electrical reports, details of fire and alarm systems, planning information, access contacts and deadline. This prevents the wrong dwelling or common areas being inspected.
Need to organise evidence for a Hammersmith and Fulham HMO?
Send the complete address, occupier and household numbers, property and conversion arrangement, licence wording, existing reports, planning information, requested certificate list, access contacts and deadline. The enquiry can then be divided into the relevant gas, electrical, fire, alarm or lighting routes without assuming a generic HMO package.