How long does an HMO licence last?

Most HMO licences are granted for up to five years, though a council can grant a shorter term where it has specific concerns about the property or its management. The exact expiry date is stated on the licence itself and should be diarised, since councils are not guaranteed to send a reminder.

When should I start my HMO licence renewal?

Start at least three months before your licence expires. Council processing times for applications commonly run 8 to 16 weeks depending on the borough, and any gap between an expired licence and a granted renewal counts as operating unlicensed for that period.

Do renewal standards stay the same as my original licence?

No. A renewal is reassessed against current standards, not the standards in place when the property was first licensed. Scheme boundaries, fire safety expectations, and licence conditions can all change between applications, so a property that passed originally is not guaranteed to pass a renewal unchanged.

HMO Licence Renewal: When to Start and What Changes

Q: What happens if my licence lapses before the renewal is granted?

Even a brief gap between expiry and renewal counts as operating an unlicensed HMO, exposing the landlord to the same civil penalty and Rent Repayment Order risk as a property that was never licensed. There is no grace period built into the law for a late renewal.

Q: Does an HMO licence transfer to a new owner if the property is sold?

No. HMO licences are not transferable — if the property is sold, the new owner must apply for a fresh licence in their own name regardless of how much time remained on the previous licence.

An HMO licence isn't a one-off purchase — it has an expiry date, and letting it lapse even briefly puts you back in unlicensed territory with all the same penalties as never having applied at all. Here's what landlords need to know about renewal.

How long does a licence last

Most HMO licences are granted for up to five years, though a council can grant a shorter term if it has specific concerns about the property or the management arrangements. The exact expiry date is stated on your licence — it is worth diarising well in advance rather than relying on a council reminder, which is not guaranteed. Some councils send a renewal notice as a courtesy; many do not, and the responsibility for tracking the date sits with the landlord regardless.

Why you should start early

Given that council processing times for a fresh application commonly run 8 to 16 weeks depending on the borough, waiting until your existing licence is close to expiry before starting a renewal is a real risk. We recommend starting the renewal process at least three months before expiry, so that even with a longer-than-average council review, there's no gap between your old licence expiring and the new one being granted.

A gap of even a few days between an expired licence and a granted renewal counts as operating unlicensed for that period, exposing the landlord to the same civil penalty and Rent Repayment Order risk as a property that was never licensed at all. There is no grace period built into the law for a renewal that's simply running late.

What can change between renewals

Standards and requirements are not frozen for the life of your licence. A borough's additional licensing scheme boundaries can change, fire safety expectations can be tightened, and conditions attached to licences generally can evolve between your original application and your renewal. A renewal is not simply a formality — the council will reassess the property against current standards, not the standards that applied when you first got licensed.

This matters most where a property scraped through its original application with minimal margin — a room just above the minimum size threshold, or fire doors that met the standard in place at the time. If guidance has tightened since, the same physical property can fail a renewal assessment it would have passed originally, which is why a pre-renewal review of the property against current standards is worth doing before the council's inspection, not after.

What the council typically reassesses at renewal

A renewal inspection generally covers the same ground as the original application: room dimensions measured against the mandatory minimums, fire detection and escape provision, gas and electrical safety certification, and the general condition of shared kitchens, bathrooms, and communal areas. Councils are also entitled to reassess the management arrangements themselves — who holds the licence, who manages the property day to day, and whether that person or company would currently pass the fit and proper person test, even if they passed it at the original application.

This is why a change in who manages the property since the original licence was granted is worth flagging proactively rather than waiting for the council to discover it during a renewal inspection. A change of managing agent, a change of company director, or a change in how the property is actually run day to day can all be relevant to a renewal decision.

When occupancy has changed since your original licence

A property's occupancy sometimes drifts between the original grant and the renewal date — an extra tenant added, a household count that's crept up, or a room reconfigured. If your HMO now houses more people or more households than it did when originally licensed, it may have moved from one licensing category into another — for example, from below the mandatory threshold into mandatory licensing territory — and the renewal needs to reflect what the property actually is now, not what it was when first licensed. Applying for a like-for-like renewal when the underlying occupancy has changed risks a mismatch the council will pick up during its own reassessment.

What to have ready before you apply

A renewal application draws on much of the same documentation as the original: a current gas safety certificate, an electrical installation condition report within its five-year validity, evidence of working smoke and carbon monoxide alarms, and confirmation that furniture meets fire safety regulations. If any of these have lapsed or are close to expiry, they need renewing in parallel with the licence itself, not after. For landlords who need EICR or fire alarm certification brought up to date before a renewal inspection, our sister site electrician247.london handles NICEIC-certified electrical and fire-alarm certification for London landlords.

A licence doesn't transfer with a sale

It's worth distinguishing renewal from a change of ownership, since landlords sometimes assume the two are handled the same way. An HMO licence is not transferable — if the property is sold, the new owner must apply for a fresh licence in their own name, regardless of how much time remains on the previous licence. If you're buying a licensed HMO, do not assume the existing licence carries over; treat the application as a new one from day one of ownership.

Managing renewals across a portfolio

Landlords with several HMOs rarely have renewal dates that line up conveniently. Each property's five-year, or shorter, term runs from its own original grant date, so a portfolio can easily have renewals due in different boroughs, on different timelines, against different standards. Tracking each property's expiry date individually, rather than relying on memory or a single annual review, is the most reliable way to avoid one property in the portfolio quietly lapsing while attention is focused on another.

Get ahead of your renewal

If your HMO licence is due to expire within the next six months, get in touch now. We will confirm your exact renewal deadline, review your property against current standards before you're assessed by the council, and handle the entire renewal application so there's no gap in your compliance.