Hammersmith & Fulham is the opposite of Kingston. Every HMO in the borough needs a licence, whatever its size, and has done since 2017. A three person flat share in Fulham is licensable in the same way as a seven bed house in Shepherd’s Bush. On top of that, ordinary single household lets on 24 named streets need a selective licence.
Two changes are coming, so it is a good year to check where you stand. Both discretionary licensing schemes end on 4 June 2027 unless the council renews them. The council has also approved an Article 4 direction that will require planning permission to turn a family home into a small HMO.
Licensing is different in each borough. See our guides to Wandsworth, Merton, Lambeth, Croydon, Kingston, Sutton and Southwark in South London, and Brent and Hillingdon in West London.
Which Hammersmith & Fulham properties need a licence
H&F runs all three types of licensing.
Mandatory HMO licence
Required where five or more people forming two or more households live in the property as their main home and share a toilet, bathroom or kitchen. This applies across England.
It does not apply to a purpose built flat in a block of three or more purpose built flats. In H&F those flats are caught by the additional scheme instead, so they still need a licence.
Additional HMO licence, borough wide
Required for a house or flat let to three or four people forming two or more households who share facilities. The scheme also covers:
- converted flats
- flats in purpose built blocks, with any number of occupiers
- section 257 HMOs, meaning buildings converted into self contained flats that do not meet the relevant building standards, where fewer than two thirds of the flats are owner occupied
The scheme covers the whole borough. It started on 5 June 2017, was renewed from 5 June 2022, and runs until 4 June 2027.
Selective licence, 24 streets
Required for any privately rented house or flat on one of 24 designated streets, including a let to a single household. The current scheme came into effect on 5 June 2022 for five years.
The streets are Askew Road, Baron’s Court Road, Bloemfontein Road, Blythe Road, Coningham Road, Crookham Road, Dalling Road, Dawes Road, Fulham Road, Goldhawk Road, Greyhound Road, King Street, Lime Grove, New King’s Road, North End Road, Richmond Way, Scrubs Lane, Shepherd’s Bush Road, Sinclair Road, Talgarth Road, Uxbridge Road, Wandsworth Bridge Road, Wood Lane and Woodstock Grove.
Several of these roads run on into neighbouring boroughs, and only the addresses in H&F are covered. If the property on one of these streets is a licensable HMO, it needs an HMO licence rather than a selective one.
What is not licensable
- a live in landlord with one or two lodgers
- a house or flat occupied by only two people
- properties managed by housing associations, the health service, or an education provider for its own students
- buildings occupied by religious communities
Three H&F specifics worth knowing
Bedroom sizes depend on the living room
H&F’s amenity guidance ties bedroom size to shared living space. The statutory minimum of 6.51m² for one adult only works where there is a separate living room or open plan kitchen diner of at least 16.5m², or 12.5m² in a three or four person HMO.
Without that shared space, a single bedroom has to be at least 10.22m² and a double at least 15m². This is the rule that catches landlords who have turned the lounge into another bedroom.
The guidance also goes further than many boroughs on amenities. From five occupiers it expects a wash hand basin in each bedroom where reasonably practicable, and every kitchen needs a fridge freezer of at least 300 litres for every five people, plus a microwave, air fryer or equivalent.
Planning permission: seven sharers now, small HMOs next
A house with seven or more unrelated people sharing needs planning permission for a change of use to a large HMO. That is not new.
What is new is that in February 2026 the council’s Cabinet approved making a “non immediate” Article 4 direction. It removes the permitted development right to convert a family home into a small HMO of three to six sharers. The area it covers is being set by an evidence study. The direction has not yet been made. Once it is, it has to be publicised and consulted on, and then confirmed by Cabinet about 12 months later. Once it is in force, creating a new small HMO in the area it covers will need planning permission.
Article 4 directions do not work retrospectively. But if you already run a small HMO, keep the tenancy records that show when the HMO use began.
A lease that bans letting can shorten your licence
Licences are normally granted for up to five years. If your lease does not allow letting or HMO use, H&F may still grant a licence where tenants are already in occupation. But it may cut the term to two years, so that you can either get a waiver from the freeholder or stop the use that breaches the lease.
Both schemes end in June 2027
The additional and selective schemes both run to 4 June 2027. The council has to consult before it can renew either one, so expect a consultation before then.
A renewed scheme can come with a different area, different streets or different fees. That happened in 2022, when eight streets were added to the selective list.
What an H&F licence costs
2026/27 fees:
- Mandatory HMO licence: £1,656 for a five bedroom HMO, plus £183 for each additional bedroom, so £2,022 for a seven bed
- Additional HMO licence: £755
- Selective licence: £755
There is £80 off if you are a member of an accredited landlord body such as the NRLA or the London Landlord Accreditation Scheme. Alternatively there is £50 off if you sign up to the council’s Landlords Rental Charter as part of the application. Only one discount applies per licence.
The fee is split into two parts. Part 1 covers processing the application and Part 2 covers running and enforcing the scheme. The split is 25/75 for mandatory licences and 50/50 for additional and selective licences. If an application is processed but the licence is not granted, Part 2 can be refunded. Payment is made online when you apply.
Correct as at 28 September 2026. Fees are set by the council and are payable by you, separately from anything we charge. Check the current figures on the council’s property licensing page before you budget.
How we work in Hammersmith & Fulham
We offer full HMO management across Hammersmith, Fulham, Shepherd’s Bush and White City. HMOs are the only thing we do.
Full management is 15% of gross collected rent, and 13% where you have three or more properties with us. We are not currently VAT registered, so there is no VAT to add. Contractor invoices are passed through at cost.
We also handle licence applications on their own, without management, if that is all you need.
Every engagement starts with a free compliance audit. We visit, spend an hour going through the property, and send you a written note of what we find. There is no charge and no obligation. If the note says you do not need us, you keep the note.
Full detail on how our management works · Book a free compliance audit
Hammersmith & Fulham HMO questions
Do I need an HMO licence in Hammersmith & Fulham?
Almost certainly, if three or more people from two or more households share a kitchen, bathroom or toilet. Three or four sharers need an additional licence, and five or more need a mandatory licence. A flat in a purpose built block needs an additional licence whatever the number of sharers.
My flat is on Uxbridge Road and let to one family. Do I need a licence?
Yes, if the address is in Hammersmith & Fulham. Uxbridge Road is one of the 24 selective licensing streets, so a single household let there needs a selective licence.
Do I need planning permission to run an HMO in H&F?
You do for seven or more sharers. For three to six sharers, the council has approved an Article 4 direction that will require planning permission for new small HMOs once it is confirmed and in force. If you are planning a conversion, check with the council’s planning team first.
What happens in June 2027?
Both discretionary schemes reach the end of their five years on 4 June 2027. The council has to consult before renewing them, and a new scheme can change the area, the streets or the fees.
Is a 6.51m² bedroom big enough in H&F?
Only for one adult, and only where the property has a separate living room or kitchen diner of at least 16.5m² (12.5m² for three or four people). Without that, the minimum for a single bedroom is 10.22m².
Talk to us
No obligation, and we will tell you honestly if you do not need us.
Telephone: 020 3026 7320
Email: info@reaysmithproperty.co.uk
Licensing information on this page reflects Hammersmith & Fulham Council’s published guidance as at 28 September 2026 and is general information, not advice on your specific property. Check the council’s own pages for the current position.