I cover the whole of Sutton as an accredited domestic energy assessor: Sutton and Benhilton (SM1), Belmont and South Cheam (SM2), Cheam and North Cheam (SM3), Carshalton and The Wrythe (SM5), Wallington, Beddington and Hackbridge (SM6), the Sutton side of St Helier, and Worcester Park (KT4). There is no travel surcharge anywhere inside Greater London.
| Households (2021 census) | 82,347 |
|---|---|
| Rented privately | 20.3% (London 30.0%) |
| Owned outright or with a mortgage | 64.4% (London 45.2%) |
| Social rented | 14.2% (London 23.1%) |
| Households living in a flat | 37.1% (London 54.0%) |
| …of which in a converted house | 3.9% of all households (London 11.1%) |
| Households in a house | 62.9% (London 45.9%) |
| Typical (median) EPC score | 69, band C (London 70) |
| Homes with an EPC rated C or above | 52% (London 58%) |
| HMO licence (3 or more people, more than one household) | Whole borough; £319.40 per let |
| The licence holder must be able to produce | A current floor plan and accurate measurements of every room |
| Households owning their home | 64.4%, the fourth-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: Sutton Council’s “Houses in Multiple Occupation (HMO)” and “Apply for, vary or renew your HMO licence” pages, 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.
Sutton licenses every shared home
In Sutton a house in multiple occupation is any home where three or more unrelated people, forming more than one household, share a kitchen, bathroom or WC — a couple living with a friend counts. Mandatory licensing covers HMOs with five or more people, and Sutton’s additional licensing scheme, now fully live across the whole borough, covers every HMO below that threshold. A resident landlord can have up to two lodgers before the home is classed as an HMO.
The fee is £319.40 per let under either scheme, and licences last up to five years. The council charges a £300 penalty fee where no application has been made and it later finds the property, and may also prosecute; another £300 can be charged where a complete application is not provided within 28 days. Each licence sets the maximum number of occupants, and the council says all HMOs must meet the government’s minimum room sizes, in force since 1 October 2018. Checked on Sutton Council’s HMO pages on 22 October 2026.
The licence holder needs a floor plan and every room measured
Sutton lists what a licence holder must be able to produce for each HMO: a current gas safety certificate, proof that the electrics, appliances and furniture are safe, working smoke alarms, a written statement of terms for each occupier, a fire risk assessment, and — the two items a visit from me produces — a current floor plan of the property and accurate measurements for all rooms. A laser-measured floor plan gives both, from £69 on its own or from £123 with an EPC. A whole home let to a household needs a valid EPC too, and most privately rented homes must be rated E or above unless an exemption has been registered (landlord guide; HMO guide).
What the assessment looks at in a Sutton home
How homes in Sutton 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 52% 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 73, terraced houses at 68. How every London borough compares.
62.9% of Sutton households live in a house — 27.9% in a semi, 24.5% in a terrace and 10.5% in a detached house — and 37.1% in a flat.
Victorian and Edwardian villas
Sutton’s population more than doubled between 1861 and 1871 as upmarket Benhilton was developed, and the town now has four conservation areas. In Wallington, Nathaniel Bridges built an estate of gothic revival villas in the 1860s, and Clifton Road, Belmont Road and Park Road still have imposing Victorian and Edwardian villas; Carshalton’s park estate was sold for housing in the early 1890s, and Carshalton has three conservation areas, while Cheam village has had one since 1970. Large period houses usually have solid walls and many windows, recorded as found; in a conservation area, check before changing the outside.
St Helier and the inter-war estates
The St Helier estate was built between 1928 and 1936 by the London County Council as an overspill estate, designed as a garden city, and it straddles Sutton and Merton. In houses of that era the walls, loft insulation and heating decide most of the rating, so any record of cavity or loft insulation helps.
Selling in Sutton
64.4% of Sutton households own their home, the fourth-highest share in London. If you are selling, order the EPC before the home is marketed — the sellers’ guide has the detail.
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; flats from £69. Confirmed in writing before you book and paid after the visit. How EPC prices compare across London.
Common questions
Do I need an HMO licence in Sutton?
Yes, if three or more unrelated people forming more than one household share your property. Sutton’s additional licensing is now live across the whole borough for HMOs below the five-person mandatory threshold.
How much is an HMO licence in Sutton?
£319.40 per let, for both the mandatory and additional schemes. The council also charges a £300 penalty fee where no application has been made and it later finds the property, or where a complete application is not provided within 28 days.
Does a Sutton HMO licence holder need a floor plan?
Yes. The council says the licence holder must be able to produce a current floor plan of the property and accurate measurements for all rooms, along with the safety certificates and a fire risk assessment.
Can I take in lodgers in Sutton without a licence?
A resident landlord is allowed up to two lodgers before the property is classed as an HMO. The total number of occupiers always includes the landlord and their household.
How much is an EPC for a house in Sutton?
On the guide price list, two- and three-bedroom homes of 71 to 95 square metres are £85, and three-bedroom houses and compact four-bedroom homes of 96 to 110 square metres are £90. There is no travel surcharge anywhere in Greater London.
Nearby
Next door: Croydon, Merton and Kingston upon Thames. I cover every London borough.