Hounslow has one discretionary licensing scheme on our record: additional HMO licensing (in force). Mandatory HMO licensing applies everywhere in England to HMOs with 5 or more people in 2 or more households.
Selective: none foundAdditional HMO: yesMandatory HMO: alwaysChecked 28 Sep 2026
| Area covered | Whole council area |
|---|---|
| Designation made | 11 Sept 2025 |
| Runs | 11 Dec 2025 to 10 Dec 2030 |
| Fee | £1,550 per property + £25 per household |
| Discounts | £95 accredited |
Note from our check: fee LPL Mar 2026
Checked 28 Sept 2026.
| Date | What | Scheme | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10 Dec 2030 estimated (start + 5 years) in 1534 days | scheme end | Additional HMO licensing | council |
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Whatever the local schemes, a licence is required for any house in multiple occupation let to 5 or more people forming 2 or more households who share a kitchen, bathroom or toilet. This rule is national and has applied since 1 October 2018. Letting without a required licence is a criminal offence under section 72 of the Housing Act 2004. Read do I need an HMO licence? and how to apply.
We did not find an online public register for Hounslow. Every council must keep one (Housing Act 2004, s.232) and make it available for inspection; ask the council's private sector housing team.
Official planning data lists 1 HMO Article 4 area for Hounslow. Inside these areas, turning a family house (use class C3) into a small HMO (C4) needs planning permission.
| HMO Article 4 area | In effect from | Document |
|---|---|---|
| Dwellinghouses (C3) to small HMOs (C4) - borough-wide Article 4 Direction | 4 Sept 2023 | view |
Licensing and planning are separate. A licence does not give planning permission, and planning permission does not replace a licence. See Article 4 and HMOs.
Figures below count First-tier Tribunal (Property Chamber) decisions published on GOV.UK for properties located in Hounslow. They show how tenants and the council use enforcement here. Most civil penalties are paid without appeal, so they never reach the tribunal.
| Rent repayment order decisions | 18 (12 in the last 3 years) |
|---|---|
| Orders made | 14 (82.4% of decisions with a known outcome) |
| Median award | £8,622 (last 3 years: £5,993) |
| Total awarded | £145,480 |
| Civil penalty appeals | 5 |
| Penalty upheld (in full or reduced) | 100% · confirmed in full 100% |
| Median penalty: council's notice / after tribunal | £37,000 / £37,000 |
| Other Housing Act appeals (licence terms, notices, orders) | 9 |
| Decided | Area | Property | Offence alleged | Outcome | Amount | Decision |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 14 Jul 2026 | TW3 | HMO | unlicensed HMO; unlicensed (selective licensing); unlawful eviction / harassment; failure to comply with improvement notice; breach of banning order | Order made | £2,700 | GOV.UK |
| 26 Jan 2026 | TW8 | Flat | unlicensed HMO; unlicensed (selective licensing); unlawful eviction / harassment; failure to comply with improvement notice; breach of banning order | Refused | — | GOV.UK |
| 26 Jan 2026 | TW13 | HMO | unlicensed HMO; unlicensed (selective licensing); unlawful eviction / harassment; failure to comply with improvement notice; breach of banning order; violence for securing entry | Order made | £164 | GOV.UK |
| 17 Nov 2025 | TW5 | HMO | unlicensed HMO; unlawful eviction / harassment | Order made | £5,993 | GOV.UK |
| 3 Nov 2025 | TW3 | HMO | unlicensed HMO; unlicensed (selective licensing); unlawful eviction / harassment; failure to comply with improvement notice; breach of banning order; violence for securing entry | Order made | £11,820 | GOV.UK |
| Decided | Area | Offence | Outcome | Council's penalty | After tribunal | Decision |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 Jul 2026 | TW5 | failure to comply with improvement notice | Penalty confirmed | £37,000 | £37,000 | GOV.UK |
| 30 Oct 2023 | TW5 | unlicensed HMO; unlawful eviction / harassment | Withdrawn / struck out | — | — | GOV.UK |
| 31 May 2023 | W4 | not extracted | Penalty confirmed | — | — | GOV.UK |
| 14 Jul 2022 | TW5 | breach of licence conditions | Penalty confirmed | — | — | GOV.UK |
| 23 Nov 2020 | — | unlicensed HMO; HMO management regulations | Penalty confirmed | — | — | GOV.UK |
Amounts and outcomes are extracted automatically from the decision text and can be wrong; open the decision on GOV.UK for the full reasons. Party names are not shown. Information, not legal advice.
If you have let without a licence you needed, read unlicensed property: what to do, rent repayment orders and civil penalties.
Hounslow is in the London region of the new Private Rented Sector Database. Registration opens 15 Jul 2027 and the deadline to register is 14 Oct 2027. The published fee is £65 per property per year. Database registration is separate from council licensing: you may need both. See register your rental property.
We can prepare a licence application for you for a fixed fee; the council's own fee is separate. See pricing for what is included and how we make money. You can also run a full address check on the postcode checker.
We found no selective licensing scheme on London Borough of Hounslow's website as of 28 Sep 2026. Mandatory HMO licensing still applies to 5+ people in 2+ households. Confirm with the council.
Additional HMO licensing: £1,550 (per property + £25 per household). Fees for mandatory HMO licences are set by the council and published on its fees page.
Official planning data lists 1 HMO Article 4 area for Hounslow. Inside these areas, turning a family house (use class C3) into a small HMO (C4) needs planning permission.
The First-tier Tribunal has published 18 rent repayment order decisions for properties in Hounslow (14 with an order made), median award £8,622, and 5 civil penalty appeals. Most penalties are never appealed, so the true number of fines is higher.
Related: selective licensing in England · additional HMO licensing · HMO licence cost · HMO rules · HMO hub
Last checked 28 Sep 2026. Information, not legal advice. Licensing schemes change often; always confirm with the council before you act.