HMO Licence PlansFrom £495
How much do HMO licence floor plans cost in London?
Floor plans for a London HMO licence application cost our fixed £495, with a schedule of every bedroom and shared space set against the national minimum room sizes. The council's licence fee is separate and set by each borough, and the stakes for skipping the licence are high: a financial penalty can reach £40,000.
The short answer: a fixed fee for the plans, a separate one for the licence
Our HMO licence plans cost £495. For that we produce scaled plans of every floor with each room labelled by use, a schedule of bedroom areas against the national minimum, the kitchens, bathrooms, WCs and shared spaces counted, and the doors, stairs and escape routes drawn clearly. The pack is a PDF ready to upload with the application.
The council's licence fee is a separate bill, set by each borough, and we do not guess it for you: check the figure on your council's HMO licensing page before you apply. We also tell you if the plans suggest anything the council is likely to query, which saves a round of correspondence.
- Plan every floor
Scaled plans with each room labelled by use, from basement to loft.
- Schedule the bedrooms
Each sleeping room's area is listed against the national minimum room sizes.
- Count the facilities
Kitchens, bathrooms, WCs and shared spaces are marked and counted.
- Show the escape routes
Doors, stairs and routes out are drawn so the officer can check them.
When a licence is required
Government guidance says a large HMO is one that is rented to 5 or more people who form more than 1 household, with shared facilities. Even where fewer people live there, the same page says you may still need a licence depending on the area, because some councils run additional or selective licensing schemes.
That second point is the one landlords miss. A three-bed house let to four sharers may sit outside the national rule and inside a borough scheme. We ask for the address and tell you what the licence position is before you pay for plans.
The room-size schedule the plans must carry
The mandatory licence conditions set minimum sleeping room sizes. A room for one person over 10 must be not less than 6.51 square metres, a room for two people over 10 not less than 10.22 square metres, and a room of less than 4.64 square metres may not be used for sleeping. Those rules came into force on 1 October 2018.
We measure each room on the survey visit, so the schedule uses what is there rather than the estate agent's brochure. A room that is 6.3 square metres on the tape is not a 6.51 one, and it is far cheaper to find out before the licence application than in the inspector's report.
What it costs if you let without a licence
A council can impose a financial penalty for a relevant housing offence, which includes an offence for licensing of HMOs, of an amount it determines but not more than £40,000. The page shows that figure as substituted with effect from 1 May 2026. It applies to the person whose conduct amounts to the offence.
That makes the licence a business cost, and the plans a small part of it. A licence is also temporary: it is valid for a maximum of 5 years, so the plans you pay for now will be needed again at renewal.
If you are converting a house into an HMO as well
Licence plans show what exists. If you are changing a house into an HMO, a planning application may also be needed, particularly in areas with an Article 4 direction. Our HMO conversion drawings cover that, and our guide to planning for an HMO explains the tests.
The licence plans service is on its HMO licence plans page. If your house also needs building regulations drawings for fire doors and escape, those are separate, and the post on what they cost explains why.
Sources
Every figure in this article, where it comes from and a link to the original.
- rented to 5 or more people who form more than 1 household: GOV.UK House in multiple occupation licence: (source wording: "it is rented to 5 or more people who form more than 1 household"). www.gov.uk
- you may still need a licence depending on the area: GOV.UK House in multiple occupation licence: (source wording: "you may still need a licence depending on the area"). www.gov.uk
- not less than 6.51 square metres: Licensing and Management of HMOs (Mandatory Conditions of Licences) (England) Regulations 2018, new Sch 4 para 1A(2)(a): one person aged over 10 (source wording: "not less than 6.51 square metres"). www.legislation.gov.uk
- not less than 10.22 square metres: Same regulations, para 1A(2)(b): two persons aged over 10 (source wording: "not less than 10.22 square metres"). www.legislation.gov.uk
- 4.64 square metres: Same regulations, para 1A(2)(d): a room under this size may not be used for sleeping (source wording: "less than 4.64 square metres"). www.legislation.gov.uk
- not more than £40,000: Housing Act 2004 s249A(4): a financial penalty for a relevant housing offence, including s72 licensing of HMOs (source wording: "must not be more than £40,000"; sum substituted from 1 May 2026 by SI 2026/319). www.legislation.gov.uk
- a maximum of 5 years: GOV.UK House in multiple occupation licence: (source wording: "A licence is valid for a maximum of 5 years"). www.gov.uk
Questions people ask
Is the council's licence fee included?
Do I pay VAT on your fee?
Do you apply for the licence for me?
What if one room is below the minimum size?
Do I need new plans at renewal?
Photographs: John Cameron (Unsplash License); Tima Miroshnichenko (Pexels License).
HMO Licence Plans: a fixed fee from £495
Read more on the hmo licence plans service page, or send your address below and we reply within one working day.
HMO Licence Plans
from £495
Every price is the full fixed fee you pay. No VAT is charged. Council application fees are paid to the council separately.
What you get
- Scaled floor plans of every floor with each room labelled by use
- A schedule of bedroom areas set against the national minimum room sizes
- Kitchens, bathrooms, WCs and shared spaces marked and counted
- Doors, stairs and escape routes drawn clearly
- A PDF pack ready to upload with the licence application