If you let property in Hounslow, Heston, Cranford, Isleworth, Feltham or along the M4 corridor and HMRC has written to you, the first thing to know is that most enquiries are settled with organised paperwork, not disaster. We help you understand exactly what HMRC is asking for, gather the records for the years in question, and prepare a clear response.
The local rule that affects Hounslow landlords now
Since 11 December 2025, Hounslow Council has run a borough-wide Additional HMO Licensing scheme, in force until December 2030. It covers most shared houses let to three or more people in two or more households. The council thinks around 2,000 properties in the borough need a licence. The fee is £1,550 plus £25 per household. Letting an unlicensed HMO risks a fine of up to £30,000 and a rent-repayment order.
This is a council rule, not a tax one. But the licence fees you pay, and the rent from a licensed HMO, are exactly the records an HMRC enquiry looks at — so it pays to keep them clearly. Always check the current position with Hounslow Council.
Areas we support
- Hounslow (TW3, TW4, TW5), Heston, Cranford, Hatton
- Isleworth, Osterley, Brentford, Chiswick (Hounslow side)
- Feltham, Hanworth, Bedfont
- Heathrow-corridor areas serving airport and airline tenants — Hayes, Southall, Twickenham, Ashford
- M4 towns: Slough, Maidenhead, Reading, Bracknell, Newbury
Wherever your properties sit, we can help. For landlords across the capital, see the London & Home Counties page.
Why an HMRC enquiry can feel harder around Heathrow and the M4
- Mixed portfolios across boroughs — flats above shops, small blocks, HMOs and family homes, sometimes across Hounslow, Ealing, Hillingdon and Spelthorne.
- HMOs for airport and shift workers — rent arriving by standing order, transfer and sometimes cash, from several payees, which HMRC may test for completeness.
- Long letting histories where records were never standardised and have drifted over the years.
- Changes of use, remortgages and periods of personal occupation that make the record trail harder to follow.
What we do for landlords under enquiry
We help you deal with the enquiry from start to finish, on your side of the table:
- Explain the HMRC letter in plain English, so you know exactly what is being asked.
- Help you gather and organise the bank statements, rent schedules, tenancy agreements and mortgage-interest records for the years in question — use our Seven-Part Check to see the full list.
- Help you prepare your reply — our reply-letter builder writes the safe first response — and, where something was missed, work through a Let Property Campaign disclosure.
- Give you the figures you need with our penalty estimator and liability estimator.
- Explain the letter and the deadline
- Help you organise records and spot gaps
- Help you prepare your response and any disclosure
- Give you the tools to work out the figures
- Your tax agent — you sign and send
- A regulated financial or legal adviser
- Able to guarantee an HMRC outcome
- The right place for a Code of Practice 9 case — get a specialist
Common questions from Hounslow and Heathrow landlords
Do you only help landlords in Hounslow?
No. This page is for landlords in Hounslow, Heathrow and the M4 corridor, but we help landlords anywhere in the UK facing an HMRC enquiry.
My HMO is caught by Hounslow’s new licensing scheme. Does that affect an HMRC enquiry?
They are separate. The borough-wide Additional HMO Licensing scheme (from 11 December 2025) is a council matter; an HMRC enquiry is about your tax. But the licence fees you pay and the rents from a licensed HMO are part of the records HMRC will want to see, so keep them clearly.
Are you my tax agent?
No. We help you understand the letter, get your records in order and prepare your response. You sign and send it. Nothing here is regulated financial advice.
Do you work with my existing accountant?
Yes. Often our job is to get your records and response ready so your accountant can act efficiently. You remain their client for advice.
Landlord Tax Enquiry helps landlords prepare for and respond to HMRC enquiries. We are not a tax agent, not a regulated financial or legal adviser, and this page is general information, not advice on your own position. Local licensing figures are current at the review date; always confirm with Hounslow Council. Phone 07359 169970.