HMO Licence Cost by London Borough: A 2026 Comparison

One of the most common questions we get from landlords is simply: how much will this cost? The honest answer is that it depends heavily on which council your property falls under — London's 33 boroughs each set their own HMO licence fees independently, and the gap between the cheapest and most expensive can be over £1,500 for what is, on paper, the same licence.

Why fees vary so much

Each council calculates its own fee structure based on its own cost-recovery model, and some charge a flat fee per licence while others charge per room or per bedroom. There is no national fee schedule — only the licence requirement itself is set nationally, not the price of obtaining it.

Some published 2026 examples

To illustrate the range: Newham's mandatory HMO licence fee has been published at around £1,400. Croydon charges per room, at roughly £285 per room rather than a flat fee. Harrow's fee sits at around £1,818. Camden charges a base fee of roughly £750 plus approximately £60 per additional room.

These figures are illustrative of the spread, not a complete list — council fees are reviewed and changed regularly (several boroughs increase fees annually), so always confirm the current published fee for your specific borough before budgeting for an application.

Council fee vs our service fee

It's worth being clear about what you're actually paying for. The council fee above is paid directly to the local authority and covers their processing and inspection costs — it exists regardless of who submits your application. Our service fee (£300+VAT for an Additional licence, £500+VAT for a Mandatory licence) is separate, and covers us preparing your complete application, liaising with the council throughout, and handling any queries until your licence is granted.

Budgeting for your application

Because council fees vary so significantly by borough — and sometimes by property size within the same borough — we always confirm the exact council fee for your specific property before you commit to anything. Contact us with your property's borough and we'll give you a full cost breakdown, council fee and our service fee combined, before you proceed.