Official guidance to check alongside this comparison: GOV.UK: check HMO licensing with your council (England and Wales)
How to use this comparison
The entries below were selected because their official pages describe a service relevant to this guide. They are listed alphabetically, with sources for scope and coverage. This is a starting point for provider research, not a performance ranking or an exhaustive market list. Fees and availability must be confirmed directly.
Pearl Lemon Properties publishes this guide and offers the acquisition services linked below. We have a commercial interest in enquiries. The provider list does not imply a partnership or endorsement.
Provider services at a glance
Compare the role and coverage first, then check fees and exclusions in the provider details below. On a small screen, swipe the table sideways.
| Provider | Role | Published scope | Coverage |
|---|---|---|---|
| HMO Designers — Yuno-described compliance support | Licensing and wider compliance coordination | Scheme checks, application evidence, council liaison and renewal monitoring as advertised | HMO Designers advertises UK coverage; confirm council and delivery team |
| The HMO Licensing Company | Application and council inspection support | Property survey, application documentation, submission monitoring and separately priced inspection support | Advertises UK landlord and agent support; confirm council coverage |
What to check with each provider
HMO Designers — Yuno-described compliance support
HMO Designers' compliance page describes licensing support in Yuno's name. It covers application preparation and liaison alongside wider compliance services. Clarify the contracting business and named adviser rather than assume the design team delivers every task.
Ask before instructing: Who contracts for the licensing work, and what separate technical appointments are needed?
Fees: Confirm directly: obtain current fees, VAT, exclusions, payment stages and cancellation terms in writing.
Official service information: HMO Designers — Yuno-described compliance support · Checked
The HMO Licensing Company
Its service page separates preparing and monitoring the application from a council consultation and inspection service. Council charges are additional. Ask which stages your quotation includes, who pays the authority and what happens if further work is required.
Ask before instructing: Does the quotation include inspection attendance and follow-up correspondence?
Fees: Published application service £395; council consultation and inspection service £195. Council fees additional. Confirm current prices, VAT treatment and scope directly.
Official service information: The HMO Licensing Company · Checked
Start with the council, not a national room-count shortcut
GOV.UK's England and Wales guidance directs owners to their council to establish whether a licence is required, including for smaller HMOs. Fees are set by the council. Do not assume that one authority's scheme or requirements apply to another location; Scotland and Northern Ireland require their own jurisdiction-specific checks.
Before selecting a consultant, give the property address, intended occupancy, current use and available records. Ask for a written explanation of the relevant council checks and outstanding questions. This guide compares advertised support rather than determining a property's legal status.
- Which authority and licensing scheme need checking?
- Is the work for a new application, renewal or an existing issue?
- Does the adviser have relevant experience with this council?
Compare an application service with a complete evidence review
Request a deliverables list: evidence review, plans, application preparation, submission, inspection attendance and responses to council queries. Agree which items are included and which you must supply or commission. Useful preparation identifies missing information before a form is submitted, rather than promising a particular outcome.
Create a document register with the adviser using the council's current requirements. It can track available floor plans, safety documentation, occupancy and management information, with dates, owners and outstanding actions. Share personal tenant information only when necessary through an appropriate secure process.
- Who obtains missing documents and who pays for them?
- Are site visits, revised plans and repeat correspondence included?
- Who retains application references and correspondence?
Keep licensing, planning and purchase due diligence separate
Ask appropriate professionals to establish which licensing, planning, condition and legal checks apply to the proposed use. Do not treat a licensing submission as confirmation that all other permissions or purchase risks have been resolved. A design proposal and a consultant's marketing statement are not property-specific evidence.
For an acquisition, request the existing documents and have your solicitor and relevant specialists identify what must happen on purchase or a change of operation. Record unresolved issues and their potential cost before committing. If you already own the property and only need application support, contact the licensing provider rather than an acquisition agent.
- Which matters remain outside the consultant's competence or appointment?
- Who verifies the intended use and existing records?
- What is the plan if the council requests changes?
Separate adviser fees, council charges and remedial works
Compare quotations against the same task list. Identify application support, authority charges, technical reports, drawings, inspections and any works separately. A published starting price is not the total cost of making a property ready for its intended use.
Agree how additional work is authorised, how progress is reported and when the appointment ends. Ask who monitors subsequent conditions and renewals if that support is required. Avoid a promise of a fixed approval date; establish what the adviser controls and what depends on others.
- What triggers an extra charge?
- Are VAT and third-party costs clearly stated?
- Does the appointment end at submission or after council follow-up?
Acquisition support from Pearl Lemon Properties
Share the intended area, budget and purchase stage. Pearl Lemon can discuss acquisition support; direct application-only requests to a licensing provider and obtain property-specific professional advice.
- HMO sourcing and acquisition support
Set the buying brief and clarify separate professional appointments.
Buying an HMO with licensing questions?
Share the intended area, budget and purchase stage. Pearl Lemon can discuss acquisition support; direct application-only requests to a licensing provider and obtain property-specific professional advice.
Acquisition support, not a licensing consultancy or an approval guarantee.