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Council websiteLandlord licensing in London Borough of Richmond upon Thames
London
We currently show scheme records, official links, and supporting research for this council.
Licensing scorecard
Enhanced coverageNo active local selective or additional licensing scheme is currently shown in our data.
Selective licensing
No active selective scheme shownAdditional HMO licensing
No active additional scheme shownMandatory HMO licensing
Applies across England- Source confidence
- Medium
- Boundary confidence
- No active local scheme boundary to assess
- Public register
- Not yet confirmed
- Last reviewed
- 28 March 2026
- Next review due
- Not scheduled
- Sources recorded
- 3
Our current data is a research summary, not a legal record. This should be verified with the council before letting, purchasing, refinancing, or taking legal action. Mandatory HMO licensing may still apply even where no local additional or selective scheme is recorded.
Recommended next step
Confirm the detail before you rely on it
Our current data gives a useful starting point, but the area match or scheme detail may need confirming. Verify on the official council source, or get a written check if you want a documented answer.
What still adds uncertainty
- Mandatory HMO licensing can apply based on occupancy and households, which cannot be confirmed from a postcode alone.
Buying, refinancing, or completing conveyancing? A due diligence report pulls the licensing position together with the official routes so the risk is documented before you commit. This is an information service and is not legal advice.
Verify with the council
Our current data is based on publicly available information. Always verify the latest licensing position, scheme boundaries, fees, and exemptions with London Borough of Richmond upon Thames.
Council updates
Get updates for London Borough of Richmond upon Thames
We will email you if London Borough of Richmond upon Thames introduces, renews, or changes a licensing scheme. Free, occasional updates only. Always verify final requirements on the council website.
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If you are still unsure
Keep the informational journey first. Use the free checker, the £29 review, or alerts only if you want help resolving uncertainty or tracking future change.
Property Licensing Check
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A property-specific PDF licensing report with a verification email template, current scheme fees, and a £30,000 risk context block — delivered to your inbox automatically.
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A lighter monitoring tier for selected councils or areas, aimed at landlords and smaller investors who want ongoing updates.
See alerts and monitoringThese are information services, not legal advice. Final reliance should still be checked against council sources.
Check a postcode in London Borough of Richmond upon Thames
Enter a postcode to see whether it appears to fall within a licensing scheme area, then verify the result with the council.
Public licensing register
Councils must keep a public register of licensed properties. How easy it is to use varies a lot between councils.
- Public register found
- Not confirmed
- Search method
- Search online
- Register usability
- Clear searchable register (1/5)
- Register updated
- June 2025
Register appears to cover
HMO
Appears to cover HMO licences - always confirm scope on the register itself.
Register notes
The online register contains the HMO licence number, property address, and the start and end dates of each licence. Owner/licence holder personal data (names and addresses) is withheld from the public online register; this information is only included in the full register available on request. As of June 2025, 96 licensed HMOs were listed, though the register appeared to have last been updated in 2023 and contained some licences that had since expired. To request a full copy of the register (including licence holder details), email privatehousing@merton.gov.uk. The council is authorised under Housing Act 2004 section 232 to charge £50 for producing the register.
We do not yet show a direct public register link for this council.
The council register and official source pages should be treated as the source of truth. Our summary is a guide to help you find and use them, not a substitute for the live register. How public registers work.
Research summary
These public research signals help show how recently this page was reviewed and what still needs checking before you rely on it.
Last reviewed
28 March 2026
Research confidence
Medium (62/100)
Sources checked
3
Research notes
Data sourced from multiple corroborating official Richmond Council web pages (HMO landing page, apply for HMO licence page, HMO register page, HMO standards page) and the official HMO application form PDF. Fee schedule (application fee + £647 grant fee per bedroom band, 3–10+ bedrooms) confirmed from the apply_for_a_hmo_licence page and independently corroborated by London Property Licensing (third-party, verified as of June 2025). Absence of selective and additional licensing confirmed by Richmond's own pages, London Property Licensing, legislate.tech, and web search results. The shared service arrangement with Merton (tri-borough Regulatory Services Partnership) is confirmed by multiple sources including search summaries quoting Merton's operational address in connection with Richmond's HMO licensing. Register URL (rspandlp.merton.gov.uk) confirmed from the HMO register page and register details page. Register size (96 properties as of June 2025, last updated 2023) from London Property Licensing. Cost for full register copy (£50) confirmed from both Richmond's HMO register page and London Property Licensing. No Article 4 Direction confirmed by London Property Licensing as of June 2025. Fees stated as of June 2025; the Appendix B Fees and Charges cabinet document (effective 1 April 2025) was identified but could not be read in full due to PDF encoding issues.
Council contact details
- Phone
- 020 8545 3025
Important to verify
- Exact licence duration (London Property Licensing states 5 years as the standard but Richmond's own pages do not explicitly specify the duration in extracted content - 5 years assumed as the standard mandatory HMO licence term)
- Whether additional pro-rata charges for 10+ bedroom properties follow a fixed per-bedroom increment (implied by the pattern of £56 per bedroom in the schedule but not explicitly confirmed for properties above 10 bedrooms)
- Current number of actively licensed HMOs (96 figure is from June 2025 and the register appeared out of date at that time)
- Any recent council change that could affect the current public summary.
Mandatory HMO licensing
All councils in England must operate mandatory HMO licensing. This applies to properties with 5 or more occupants forming 2 or more separate households, regardless of location. If your property meets these criteria, you must apply for a mandatory HMO licence from London Borough of Richmond upon Thames.
Not sure whether the rules apply? Use the HMO licence checker to check whether a property may need an HMO licence, then verify the current position with London Borough of Richmond upon Thames.
Council-specific HMO detail we currently show
National mandatory licensing scheme applying borough-wide to large HMOs - properties occupied by five or more people from two or more separate households who share amenities such as bathrooms, toilets, or cooking facilities. Applies to the standard test, self-contained flat test, and converted building test HMO definitions under Section 254 of the Housing Act 2004. From 1 October 2018, applies regardless of the number of storeys.
- Typical licence term
- 5 years
Mandatory HMO licensing is a national scheme with no fixed end date. Administered by the London Borough of Merton on behalf of Richmond upon Thames as part of a tri-borough Regulatory Services Partnership. Applications are submitted via the shared Regulatory Services Hub portal (rspandlp.merton.gov.uk); alternatively, a paper application form can be downloaded from richmond.gov.uk/media/24017/hmo_application_form.pdf. Payment is accepted by BACS transfer or cheque. Upon submission of a complete application, landlords may operate the HMO as though licensed until the council makes its determination. The council then reviews the application, arranges a property inspection, and communicates any required modifications or licence conditions. Richmond estimated approximately 60–70 licensable HMOs in the borough (2019 estimate), increasing slightly since. No HMO Article 4 Direction is in place; planning permission is not required for C3-to-C4 change of use.
Other compliance requirements
In addition to licensing, all private landlords in England must comply with these requirements:
- Gas Safety Certificate (CP12) - renewed annually
- EICR (Electrical Installation Condition Report) - every 5 years
- EPC rating of E or above - required before letting
- Smoke and carbon monoxide alarms - checked at start of tenancy
- Deposit protection - within 30 days of receiving deposit
- Right to Rent checks - before tenancy starts
Common questions about licensing in London Borough of Richmond upon Thames
- Do I need a landlord licence in London Borough of Richmond upon Thames?
- Our current data does not show active selective or additional licensing schemes in London Borough of Richmond upon Thames. However, mandatory HMO licensing still applies across England to properties with 5 or more occupiers forming 2 or more households. Always verify with the council as schemes can change.
- Does mandatory HMO licensing apply in London Borough of Richmond upon Thames?
- Yes. Mandatory HMO licensing applies across all of England, including London Borough of Richmond upon Thames. It covers properties with 5 or more occupiers forming 2 or more separate households. You must apply to London Borough of Richmond upon Thames for a mandatory HMO licence if your property meets these criteria.
- What happens if I rent without a licence in London Borough of Richmond upon Thames?
- Operating a licensable property without the correct licence can lead to enforcement action. For offences committed on or after 1 May 2026, GOV.UK guidance refers to civil penalties of up to £40,000 for relevant offences, with different treatment for breaches and for offences committed before that date. Earlier cases may still be assessed under previous rules. Tenants or local authorities may be able to apply for a rent repayment order. GOV.UK guidance now refers to up to two years' rent for relevant offences, but eligibility, timing and the final amount depend on the facts and tribunal decision. From 1 May 2026, Section 21 notices can no longer be used for existing or new private tenancies in England. Transitional rules may still matter for notices served before that date.
Still unsure? Choose the next step that fits you
Use these routes to move from the London Borough of Richmond upon Thames summary into the most relevant next action for your property, role, or research task.
Landlord with a standard let→
Start with a postcode if you want a property-specific route before relying on the council summary alone.
Shared occupancy or possible HMO→
Use the HMO checker if occupier numbers, households, or room-sharing could change the answer.
Check if a property has an HMO licence→
Use this if you need to check whether a property holds an HMO licence, or find the council's public HMO register.
Investor, buyer, or conveyancer→
Use the due diligence guide if this council page is part of a purchase, refinance, or pre-letting review.
Letting agent or portfolio manager→
Preview the monitoring route if you need ongoing watchlists and recurring scheme-change visibility.
Tenant checking landlord compliance→
Use the tenant guide if you rent a property and want to check whether your landlord holds the right licence.
Important disclaimer
This tool provides general information about landlord licensing schemes in England. Results are based on publicly available data and may not reflect recent changes. This is not legal advice. Always verify licensing requirements directly with your local council before making decisions.