HMO Building & Conversion
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HMO stands for House in Multiple Occupation. In simple terms, it's a property rented to three or more people who form more than one household — so not a single family — and who share facilities such as a kitchen or bathroom. A typical example is a house let room by room to working professionals or students. Larger HMOs of five or more sharers usually need a mandatory licence.

It depends on size and location. A small HMO for up to six sharers (use class C4) is often permitted development from a C3 house — but not in areas with an Article 4 direction, where planning permission is required. Larger HMOs of seven or more sharers are 'sui generis' and always need planning permission. This is general guidance and we build to your approved scheme.

An Article 4 direction removes permitted development rights in a defined area, so changing a family home (C3) to a small HMO (C4) needs planning permission. Many councils now use them where HMOs are concentrated. We build to whatever consent you obtain.

Mandatory licensing applies to HMOs let to five or more people forming two or more households. Many councils also run additional or selective licensing that can cover smaller HMOs. Licence conditions set standards for fire safety, room sizes and amenities, which we build to.

Mandatory licensing applies across England to HMOs let to five or more people from two or more households. Additional licensing lets a council extend the scheme to smaller HMOs, and selective licensing can require a licence for any private rental in a designated area. Check which schemes your local authority runs — we build to the standards your licence requires.

Typically fire-rated compartmentation, fire doors with intumescent seals, a mains-interlinked alarm system, protected escape routes and, in some cases, emergency lighting. The exact requirements come from your fire risk assessment and licensing standards — we build to them.

Compartmentation contains fire and smoke within the room where it starts, giving occupants a protected route out. In practice that means fire-rated walls and ceilings between units and escape routes, fire doors with intumescent seals on rooms opening onto shared hallways and stairs, and properly sealed service penetrations. We build this in as part of the works.

Under mandatory licensing in England, a bedroom for one person over ten must be at least 6.51 m², and 10.22 m² for two people; rooms under 4.64 m² can't be used as sleeping accommodation. Local standards can be higher. We design layouts that meet the standard for your licence.

Yes. We reconfigure internal layouts and, where needed, add extensions, loft conversions or garage conversions to create the room count and en-suites your scheme requires.

Yes. We're used to working as part of an investor's team — architect, fire risk assessor, letting or managing agent and Building Control — to deliver the scheme as designed.

We coordinate Building Control throughout the build and deliver the works to the fire and licensing standards, so your property is ready for inspection at handover.

Yes. As well as full conversions we refurbish and upgrade existing HMOs — improving compliance, condition and letting quality between tenancies or at purchase.

It depends on the size of the property and the scope of works. We give you a realistic programme at feasibility stage and hold to a schedule, so you can plan your finance and letting.