Hillingdon is London’s far west, from Northwood and Harefield down to Heathrow, and I cover all of it as an accredited domestic energy assessor: Uxbridge and Cowley (UB8), Hillingdon and Ickenham (UB10), Ruislip, Eastcote and South Ruislip (HA4), Northwood (HA6), Harefield (UB9), Hayes and Yeading (UB3, UB4), and West Drayton, Yiewsley and Harmondsworth (UB7). There is no travel surcharge anywhere inside Greater London, and booking a day or two ahead gives the widest choice of times.
| Households (2021 census) | 109,228 |
|---|---|
| Rented privately | 25.9% (London 30.0%) |
| Owned outright or with a mortgage | 56.6% (London 45.2%) |
| Social rented | 16.1% (London 23.1%) |
| Households living in a flat | 30.8% (London 54.0%) |
| …of which in a converted house | 2.9% of all households (London 11.1%) |
| Households in a house | 68.9% (London 45.9%) |
| Typical (median) EPC score | 69, band C (London 70) |
| Homes with an EPC rated C or above | 51% (London 58%) |
| Additional HMO licence (under 5 residents, 2 or more households) | Whole borough; applications due by 23 August 2026; £1,401 |
| Mandatory HMO licence (5 or more residents) | £1,656 (£1,104 + £552) |
| Households in a detached house | 13.9%, the second-highest share in London |
Sources: Census 2021, Office for National Statistics, tables TS054 (tenure) and TS044 (accommodation type) via Nomis; London means the 33 local authorities added together. Licensing: Hillingdon Council’s HMO pages (“Additional HMO licence scheme” and “Fees”) and its news release of 19 February 2026, checked 22 October 2026. EPC figures: ONS, “Energy efficiency of housing in England and Wales” (28 October 2025), the latest certificate for each home lodged in the ten years to March 2025, at the score when it was assessed; homes without an EPC are not counted.
Hillingdon’s new HMO licence
Hillingdon’s Cabinet approved a borough-wide additional licensing scheme on 19 February 2026, after a ten-week consultation. It covers shared homes with fewer than five residents from two or more households, which the national mandatory scheme does not. Applications opened on 20 May, landlords had to apply by Sunday 23 August 2026, and from Monday 24 August the council says HMOs that have not applied, or do not comply, may face enforcement action. If you let a shared home and have not applied, that is the first thing to sort out.
The additional licence costs £1,401 for 1 April 2026 to 31 March 2027, issued for five years, with 10% off for accredited landlords. Homes with five or more unrelated residents from two or more households need a mandatory licence: £1,656, paid as £1,104 with the application and £552 if it is granted. The application is made online, with details of the property, the licence holder and how the home is managed, and supporting evidence that it meets the licensing standards. Separately, a borough-wide Article 4 direction means that turning a family home into an HMO needs planning permission. Checked on the council’s HMO pages on 22 October 2026; City Hall’s property licence checker shows the scheme on a map.
The EPC for a Hillingdon let or sale
Every home let to a household needs a valid EPC, and most privately rented homes must be rated E or above unless an exemption has been registered — the landlord guide explains the rules, and the HMO guide covers shared houses. If you are selling, the EPC must be ordered before the home is marketed (sellers’ guide); 56.6% of Hillingdon households own their home.
What the assessment looks at in a Hillingdon home
How homes in Hillingdon score today. The ONS’s latest figures use each home’s most recent EPC lodged in the ten years to March 2025. The typical (median) score here is 69, band C, against 70 across London, and 51% of those homes are rated C or above (London 58%). Homes built before 1929 have a median of 61, against 84 for homes built since 2012; flats and maisonettes come out at 74, terraced houses at 67. How every London borough compares.
Nearly seven in ten Hillingdon households live in a house (68.9%): 35.1% in a semi, 19.9% in a terrace and 13.9% in a detached house — the second-highest detached share in London, after Bromley. Only 30.8% live in a flat.
Metro-land Ruislip and Ickenham
The Metropolitan Railway’s extension to Uxbridge turned much of the borough into Metro-land. Ruislip grew from 6,217 people in 1911 to 72,791 in 1961 as suburban houses went up, and in Ickenham 1,382 acres of the Swakeleys estate were auctioned for development in July 1922. Houses of that era can have solid walls or early cavities, and the assessment records the walls, loft insulation, windows and heating as they are found, so guarantees for cavity wall or loft insulation, and the dates of any extension or loft conversion, all help.
Hayes and West Drayton
In Hayes, homes in the garden-suburb style were built for workers after the First World War, and most of West Drayton’s housing dates from the middle of the twentieth century; its older core around The Green is a conservation area, with grade II and II* listed buildings. A listed home is not exempt from needing an EPC just because it is listed: it is exempt only where meeting minimum energy performance requirements would unacceptably alter its character or appearance.
Prices
- Domestic EPC from £69
- EPC + floor plan from £123, in one visit
- Floor plan only from £69
Guide prices for houses: £85 for two- and three-bedroom homes of 71 to 95 square metres, £90 for 96 to 110, and from £95 for larger homes with four or more bedrooms; flats start at £69. Confirmed in writing before you book. How EPC prices compare across London.
Common questions
Do I need an HMO licence in Hillingdon?
Yes, if your property is a shared home with fewer than five residents from two or more households: Hillingdon’s borough-wide additional licensing covers it, and the council’s deadline to apply was 23 August 2026. Five or more residents from two or more households need a mandatory licence.
How much is a Hillingdon HMO licence?
For 1 April 2026 to 31 March 2027, £1,401 for an additional licence and £1,656 for a mandatory one, paid as £1,104 with the application and £552 if it is granted. Licences last five years, with 10% off for accredited landlords.
Do I need planning permission for an HMO in Hillingdon?
To convert a family home into an HMO, yes: Hillingdon’s borough-wide Article 4 Direction requires planning permission for that change.
How much is an EPC for a house in Hillingdon?
On the guide price list, two- and three-bedroom homes of 71 to 95 square metres are £85, three-bedroom houses and compact four-bedroom homes of 96 to 110 square metres are £90, and larger homes start at £95.
Is there a travel charge to Hillingdon?
No. Hillingdon is inside Greater London, so there is no travel surcharge, and the price is confirmed in writing before you book.
Nearby
Next door: Harrow, Ealing and Hounslow. I cover every London borough.