Letting a property in Kingston upon Thames: a landlord’s guide

General information as at October 2026, not legal advice. Always check the council’s current scheme before letting.

Landlord licensing in Kingston upon Thames

• Selective licensing: There is no selective licensing scheme in Kingston; only mandatory HMO licensing applies.
• Additional HMO licensing: There is no additional licensing scheme: the borough-wide scheme (from 1 March 2018, mainly HMOs of three or more storeys with three or four people) ended on 28 February 2023 and was not replaced. Mandatory HMO licensing still covers homes let to five or more people forming two or more households.
• Fees: A mandatory HMO licence costs £319.40 per letting for a new application and £250 per letting to renew; a late renewal costs the new-application fee plus a £300 penalty.

Separately, every large HMO (5 or more people forming 2 or more households) needs a mandatory HMO licence anywhere in England. Source: Royal Borough of Kingston upon Thames.

Royal Borough of Kingston upon Thames: private renting and licensing

Safety certificates

• Gas Safety (CP12): every 12 months, by a Gas Safe registered engineer.
• EICR: at least every 5 years, by a qualified electrician.
• EPC: rated E or above, valid for 10 years.
• Alarms: a smoke alarm on every storey, and a carbon monoxide alarm in rooms with a fixed combustion appliance (not gas cookers).

Book a Gas Safety certificate, EICR or EPC in Kingston upon Thames at a fixed price, and keep track of expiry dates in the free landlord dashboard.

Deposits and the inventory

Protect the deposit in the DPS, TDS or mydeposits within 30 days. At the end, the scheme decides any dispute on the evidence, above all the check-in compared with the check-out, so the inventory is what protects you.

What to record in Kingston upon Thames homes

• Student shared houses near the university: photograph each bedroom, its door lock and furniture, and the shared kitchen appliances and worktops.
• 1930s semis: photograph bay windows, the original tiled porch or path, and the condition of the garage door.
• Riverside flats near the Thames: note any flood defence features, and photograph balconies, door seals and ground-floor walls.
• Victorian conversions in Surbiton: photograph sash windows, fire doors between flats and any shared hallway carpets.
• Gardens: photograph lawns, fences, sheds and the condition of patios and paths, since most houses here have one.

Start your inventory free

Homes sold in Kingston upon Thames in the last 12 months

Type	Sales	Average price
Flat or maisonette	515	£386,972
Semi-detached	386	£762,123
Terraced	315	£613,872
Detached	118	£1,139,465
Other	53	£1,769,683

HM Land Registry Price Paid Data since 27 October 2025, updated monthly. Look up any address in the free property report.