Many London councils license privately rented homes, and almost every licence application asks something about the property's EPC or its layout. The papers differ from one council to the next, even for the same type of licence. This guide covers what councils ask for, why, and where to find your own council's list.
The three kinds of licence
- Mandatory HMO licence: needed everywhere in England for a home rented to five or more people who form more than one household and share a toilet, bathroom or kitchen.
- Additional HMO licence: a council can extend HMO licensing to smaller shared homes, usually three or four people from two or more households. Many London boroughs do this across the whole borough.
- Selective licence: covers ordinary rented homes let to one household or two sharers, in the wards a council has designated.
A licence lasts up to five years, and the council sets the fee. Which of the three you need depends on who lives in the home and where it is.
Where the EPC comes in
Councils use the EPC in three different ways, and some use more than one:
- As a required document. Newham's online application will not let you continue without the EPC, a gas safety certificate and an EICR. Brent asks for the current EPC rated A to E unless a valid exemption is in place. Redbridge says it only approves licences for properties rated A to E.
- As a condition of a fee discount. Wandsworth, Waltham Forest, Lambeth, Islington, Haringey, Westminster, Hackney, Havering, Enfield and Newham all link a lower fee to the rating, usually for a C or better. Some, such as Havering and Enfield, withdraw the discount if the documents arrive late or the council has had to chase.
- As a factor in how long the licence lasts. Haringey says an application without a valid EPC gets a licence of one year instead of five, and lists a failed EPC as a reason to shorten it by up to four years.
Waltham Forest adds that it may refuse the discount if it thinks the EPC is not a true reflection of the home. An accurate, recent certificate avoids that question.
Other councils, including Merton, Harrow, Bromley and Kingston, list no fee linked to the EPC. You still need one to let the home: a rented home in England needs a valid EPC rated E or above unless an exemption is registered. Our guide for landlords covers that rule.
What the floor plan has to show
Where a council asks for a floor plan, it is to check that the rooms suit the number of people living there and that the layout is safe. What they ask the plan to show varies:
- Room sizes. Brent asks for the size of every room in square metres for HMO licences. Tower Hamlets asks for floor plans with room sizes. Sutton and Kingston ask for a current floor plan and accurate measurements for all rooms.
- Every part of the layout. Croydon asks for every floor level, room, window, door and staircase, with what each room is used for and its size in square metres.
- Fire safety. Redbridge asks for fire exits and the positions of smoke alarms and heat detectors. Tower Hamlets asks you to know where the fire detection and sounders are.
- Annotations. Lambeth asks for an annotated floor plan.
Redbridge says the plan does not need to be drawn by an architect or surveyor, and Bexley asks only for a simple plan. Hounslow charges extra for help measuring the rooms and drawing the sketch plan.
Why room sizes matter for an HMO
HMO licences in England include minimum sizes for rooms used as bedrooms:
- One person over 10: at least 6.51 square metres.
- Two people over 10: at least 10.22 square metres.
- One child under 10: at least 4.64 square metres.
- Under 4.64 square metres: the room cannot be used as a bedroom at all.
Any part of a room where the ceiling is lower than 1.5 metres does not count towards its floor area. That matters in loft rooms and under sloping ceilings, where a room can look big enough and still fall short.
The EPC does not answer this. It records the total floor area of the home, not the size of each room, so councils that check room sizes need the floor plan.
Your council's list
The table shows what each council's own pages said when we read them between 24 and 28 October 2026. "Not listed" means those pages did not mention it, not that the council never asks. Each borough name links to the licensing section of our area page, which cites the council pages and gives the licence types, wards and fees.
| Council | Where the EPC comes in | Floor plan or room sizes |
|---|---|---|
| Barking and Dagenham | Better ratings are a stated aim of the scheme | Not listed |
| Barnet | Not listed | Not listed |
| Bexley | A document you can provide | A simple plan you can provide |
| Brent | Required, rated A to E unless exempt | Every room in square metres (HMO licences) |
| Bromley | No fee link | A guidance note on providing a floor plan |
| Camden | Not listed | Not listed |
| City of London | Not listed | Not listed |
| Croydon | Not listed | Every floor, room, window, door and staircase, with use and size |
| Ealing | Discount for A to C in the schedule headed 2024; confirm it still applies | Not listed |
| Enfield | Discount for C or above | Not listed |
| Greenwich | Not listed | Not listed |
| Hackney | Discount for C, larger for B or above | Floor plans of the whole property help avoid delays |
| Hammersmith and Fulham | Not listed | Not listed |
| Haringey | Required; one-year licence without a valid EPC; discount for C or above | Not listed |
| Harrow | No fee link | Not listed |
| Havering | Discount for C or above, if every document is supplied | Not listed |
| Hillingdon | Not listed | Not listed |
| Hounslow | Not listed | A sketch plan; the council charges extra to help draw it |
| Islington | Asked for; discount for A to C | Room sizes and floor plans |
| Kensington and Chelsea | Not listed | Not listed |
| Kingston | Not on the document list | Current floor plan and measurements for all rooms |
| Lambeth | Discount for C or better | An annotated floor plan |
| Lewisham | Asked for with the application | Not listed |
| Merton | No fee link | Not listed |
| Newham | Required upload; discount with accreditation for C or above | Not listed |
| Redbridge | Required; only A to E approved | Fire exits, smoke alarms and heat detectors |
| Richmond | Not listed | Not listed |
| Southwark | Licence conditions include minimum energy efficiency standards | Not listed |
| Sutton | Not listed | Current floor plan and measurements for all rooms |
| Tower Hamlets | Not listed | Floor plans with room sizes |
| Waltham Forest | Lower fee for C, lower again for A or B | Not listed |
| Wandsworth | Discount for C, larger for B or above | Not listed |
| Westminster | Discount for C, larger for B or above | Not listed |
Schemes change. Several boroughs started or widened schemes during 2026, and Greenwich, Barnet and Harrow had changes pending when we checked. Read your council's page before you apply.
Getting both on one visit
We measure for the floor plan on the same visit as the EPC, which takes 45 to 90 minutes depending on the size of the home. When you book, tell us the plan is for a licence and which council it is for, so we can check what that council asks the plan to show.
See our floor plans service and pricing page for costs by floor area, or request your exact quote.
What it costs
An EPC is priced by the home’s internal floor area. Guide prices:
- Up to 40 m²Studios and compact flats£65
- 41–55 m²1-bedroom flats£75
- 56–75 m²2-bedroom flats and small homes£85
- 76–95 m²2–3-bedroom homes£95
- 96–115 m²3–4-bedroom houses£105
- 116 m² and overLarge homes, 4+ bedroomsfrom£120
A floor plan at the same visit saves up to £35. Same-day lodgement is £15 extra, and a next-day visit with the EPC lodged that day is £35 extra. Your exact price is confirmed before you book.
See every priceFrequently asked questions
Do I need an EPC to apply for a property licence?
It depends on the council. Newham, Brent, Haringey and Redbridge are among those that ask for one with the application, and several councils take money off the fee for a C or better. You need a valid EPC to let a home in England anyway, rated E or above unless an exemption is registered.
Does the floor plan for a licence need to be drawn by an architect?
Not where the council says otherwise. Redbridge states that its plan does not need to be done by an architect or surveyor. Check what your own council asks the plan to show.
Does each room in an HMO need its own EPC?
No. GOV.UK's EPC guide says a single room that is rented out does not need an EPC, because it is not a building or a unit designed for separate use. The whole building needs one if it is sold or rented out as a whole, and each self-contained flat that is sold or let needs its own. The government intends to require an EPC for the whole HMO when a single room is let, but that needs new regulations first.
Can the EPC and the floor plan be done on one visit?
Yes. We measure for the floor plan on the same visit as the EPC. Tell us when you book that the plan is for a licence and which council it is for, so we can check what that council asks it to show.
In your area
Ratings from EPCs lodged for existing homes, 01/01/2023 to 12/10/2026, from the GOV.UK register.
Sources
- House in multiple occupation licence, GOV.UK. Checked 29/10/2026.Which HMOs must be licensed everywhere in England, that smaller ones may need a licence depending on the area, and the five-year maximum.
- Housing Act 2004, Schedule 4, paragraph 1A (inserted by SI 2018/616), legislation.gov.uk. Checked 29/10/2026.Minimum floor areas for rooms used as sleeping accommodation in a licensed HMO, and the 1.5 metre ceiling height rule.
- A guide to Energy Performance Certificates for the marketing, sale and let of dwellings, GOV.UK (DCLG). Checked 29/10/2026.No EPC is needed for an individual room that is rented out; the whole building needs one if sold or rented out.
- Reforms to the Energy Performance of Buildings regime: partial government response, GOV.UK (MHCLG and DESNZ). Checked 29/10/2026.Intends to require an EPC for the whole HMO when a single room is let (paragraph 68), subject to parliamentary approval.
- Each London council's licensing pages, as listed on our area pages, London borough councils. Checked 28/10/2026.Read 24/10 to 28/10/2026 and checked by a second reader on 28/10/2026. Every council page is cited in the licensing section of its area page.
Crown copyright material is used under the Open Government Licence v3.0.
Was this guide useful?
