Merton additional HMO licensing
Additional HMO licensing · active · Listed wards
- Coverage
- Listed wards
- Fee
- £1,566
Merton additional HMO licensing applies to HMOs occupied by three or four people forming more than one household in the listed wards.
Council licensing report
Landlord licensing in Merton
Merton runs at least one local property licensing scheme. Some rules apply to the whole council. Others apply only to listed streets, wards, or mapped areas, so the postcode alone does not always give a yes-or-no answer.
What landlords need to know
Status
Merton
Additional HMO
Mandatory HMO (national)
- Selective licensing
- None listed
- Additional HMO licensing
- 1 active
- Mandatory HMO licensing
- Applies nationally
- Local scheme coverage
- Listed streets or areas
- Active local schemes
- 1 active scheme
- Last checked
- 22 May 2026
Check a postcode and address in Merton
Enter the postcode to confirm the council, then pick the address. If a scheme uses a street list, we check the selected street against it and give a direct yes or no.
Local schemes in Merton
How each scheme is scoped in Merton
A property licensing scheme is not the same everywhere. A council can designate the whole borough, a handful of wards, a list of streets, or a boundary drawn on a map. Whichever option Merton chose changes how confident you can be from the postcode alone.
Merton additional HMO licensing
This scheme covers a list of named wards. The postcode confirms the council, but the address has to fall inside one of the listed wards.
Common rental setups in Merton
The right licence depends on who lives in the property, how the household is structured, and where the property sits in the council area. These are the situations we see most often, with what Merton's current rules say about each.
Single tenant in a flat or studio
No licence neededOne adult renting a self-contained flat or a studio with their own kitchen and bathroom.
No landlord licence is needed under current Merton rules. Mandatory HMO licensing does not apply because this is one household.
Couple renting a whole house
No licence neededTwo people from one household renting an entire house on one tenancy.
No landlord licence is needed under current Merton rules. Mandatory HMO licensing does not apply because this is one household.
Family renting a whole house
No licence neededParents and dependent children from one household renting an entire house.
No landlord licence is needed under current Merton rules. Mandatory HMO licensing does not apply because this is one household.
Three sharers from different households
Licence neededThree friends or three unrelated tenants on a joint tenancy, sharing a kitchen and bathroom.
Needs an additional HMO licence if the address is inside Merton's scheme area. Mandatory HMO licensing only kicks in at five or more occupiers, so this property is not in scope of the national rule.
Four sharers from different households
Licence neededFour unrelated tenants sharing a kitchen and bathroom.
Needs an additional HMO licence if the address is inside Merton's scheme area. Mandatory HMO licensing only kicks in at five or more occupiers, so this property is not in scope of the national rule.
Five or more sharers from different households
Licence neededFive or more unrelated tenants sharing a kitchen and bathroom.
Needs a mandatory HMO licence anywhere in England. The five-or-more, two-or-more-households test is national, not council-specific. Merton's additional HMO scheme can add conditions on top inside the designated area.
Lodger with a live-in landlord
No licence neededOwner-occupier letting a room to one or two lodgers in their own home.
Letting to a lodger while you live in the property is exempt from HMO licensing in most cases. Selective licensing exemptions also normally cover owner-occupier lets.
Student house of five
Licence neededFive students from at least two households sharing a converted house.
Needs a mandatory HMO licence anywhere in England. The five-or-more, two-or-more-households test is national, not council-specific. Merton's additional HMO scheme can add conditions on top inside the designated area.
Buying a property in Merton
A property licence does not transfer when a property changes hands. If you buy a let property that needs a licence under Merton's rules, the existing licence ends and you need to apply for a new one in your own name. The seller's solicitor should disclose any existing licence and any open enforcement notices.
For conveyancing in Merton, ask three things before exchange. First, is the property inside any current selective or additional HMO scheme area. Second, is there an active licence in the seller's name and on what conditions. Third, has the council issued a civil penalty, banning order or rent repayment order against the seller in the last six years.
Owner-occupiers buying to live in the property do not need a licence. The rules only apply when a property is rented out.
Talk to Merton directly
Anything on this page that you cannot find an answer to, the council's licensing team can confirm in minutes.