API Tools

housefile.app

Queries HouseFile’s UK council property licensing records to look up schemes, upcoming changes, and coverage by postcode or council.

1 endpoint4 known toolsFirst detected October 18, 2026Last detected October 18, 2026

ENDPOINT 1

https://www.housefile.app/mcp

No auth detected

MCP server metadata

Name: housefile-licensing
Version: 1.0.0

Capabilities

tools.listChanged

Server instructions

Checks whether a property in England falls within a council’s selective or additional HMO licensing scheme, using HouseFile’s records. Call licensing_coverage to see which councils the records cover. With each result, show the user the source link and the "last verified" date. If a council is not covered, tell the user HouseFile holds no records for it, and that this doesn’t mean the council has no scheme. Never tell the user a licence isn’t needed: say what HouseFile’s records indicate. Where a result is near a scheme boundary, send the user to the council’s map. Mandatory HMO licensing depends on how many people and households live in the property, so ask about occupancy if the user hasn’t said. Results are general information, not legal advice: tell the user to confirm with the council before letting.

Known tools 4

check_property_licensing

Looks up a postcode in England in HouseFile’s records of council licensing schemes and returns each scheme in force there, with its dates, fee, source link and the date the records were last verified, plus the national HMO rule.

Inferred read-only

list_council_schemes

Lists a council’s licensing schemes from HouseFile’s records: in force, starting soon, proposed, and ended in the last 12 months, each with its area, dates, fee, source link and last verified date.

Inferred read-only

upcoming_licensing_changes

What’s coming: schemes proposed or starting soon, and recent changes to schemes in HouseFile’s records (started, ended, fee or area changed), newest first.

Inferred read-only

licensing_coverage

Which councils HouseFile’s records cover, with the number of published schemes for each and when they were last verified.

Inferred read-only

CONNECT WITH APPROVAL

Client installation

Review this server and its permissions before adding it. Secret placeholders must be set locally.

Codex

~/.codex/config.toml

[mcp_servers.housefile-licensing]
url = "https://www.housefile.app/mcp"
enabled = true

Claude Code

.mcp.json

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "housefile-licensing": {
      "type": "http",
      "url": "https://www.housefile.app/mcp"
    }
  }
}

Claude Desktop

Settings → Connectors → Add custom connector

Name: housefile-licensing
Remote MCP URL: https://www.housefile.app/mcp

Add this remote URL as a custom connector in Claude Desktop. Availability depends on the user plan and workspace policy.

Cursor

.cursor/mcp.json

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "housefile-licensing": {
      "url": "https://www.housefile.app/mcp"
    }
  }
}

Visual Studio Code

.vscode/mcp.json

Add to Visual Studio Code

{
  "servers": {
    "housefile-licensing": {
      "type": "http",
      "url": "https://www.housefile.app/mcp"
    }
  }
}

Generic MCP

Client-specific MCP configuration

{
  "name": "housefile-licensing",
  "transport": "streamable-http",
  "url": "https://www.housefile.app/mcp"
}

MCP Inspector

Run the official MCP Inspector locally and enter the indexed Streamable HTTP endpoint.

TRUST AND VERIFICATION EVIDENCE

Loading Trust v2 evidence…

Checking the associated registrable domain. The BuiltWith key remains server-side.

Indexed

Evidence is source-attributed and does not guarantee that a third-party server is safe. Risk labels are conservative metadata heuristics.