The Beginners Guide to Converting Your Property into an HMO

If you are considering converting your current property into an HMO to increase your rental income while providing more people with affordable accommodation, here’s how to do it.

Step 1: Plan First

Before you consider converting your property to an HMO, check that it is in the right location for an HMO. Ideally, your property should be in a busy student area or close to good transport connections to attract tenants.

Step 2: HMO Licensing

When you convert your property to an HMO, you’ll need an HMO licence to ensure that the property is safe and compliant.

We recommend that you contact your local council before planning your conversion to find out what you need to include in a compliant HMO property. 

If you want assistance with your application, you can talk to us about our HMO Licensing service. This service includes identifying what is needed in an HMO property for your council and applying for the local council’s property licensing scheme on your behalf.

Step 3: Minimum Room Size Requirements

Your HMO property will need to comply with the following minimum HMO room sizes:

• No room less than 4.64 square metres can be used as sleeping accommodation. This size can only be used by one person aged under ten years.
• A room size of 6.51 square metres minimum can only be used by one person aged over ten years.
• A room size of 10.22 square metres minimum can only be used by two persons aged over ten years.

Depending on your local council, there may be other criteria to meet. We recommend that you speak to your local council before you plan your conversion.

Step 4: Converting to an HMO

The key areas to focus on in the conversion are providing sufficient space, a good layout, the right facilities, good furniture, and reliable appliances for three or more tenants from separate households to rent.

For example, if you own a three-bedroom house, this can typically be converted into six units with the following suggested conversions:

• Adding a loft unit on the second (or third) floor 
• Extending the rear of the property to add a unit (if the backyard is large enough)
• Converting existing living areas into separate units
• Installing ensuites and kitchenettes in all units
• Converting the current kitchen to a communal kitchen and laundry
• Converting the garage into an additional living space

You may need to move or construct walls to alter room sizes or add plumbing to create bathrooms. Whatever works are needed, we recommend engaging a professional. 

Remember, you may also need planning permission for the renovations.

Step 5: Safety Compliance

There are various compliance measures you’ll need to meet to let an HMO to potential tenants. This includes:

• getting an annual gas safety certificate
• installing the required number of smoke alarms and carbon monoxide detectors 
• getting safety certificates for electrical appliances
• keeping exits clear from obstructions and marking fire exits clearly
• providing emergency lighting for fire safety

HMO Conversions

Before you start planning the conversion, we advise that you hire a specialist HMO agent so they can confirm if the property can be converted or not. 

They can also advise you on the planning, licensing and health and safety requirements.

As landlords and property investors ourselves, we combine our love of property, design innovation and technical excellence with helping our clients convert existing single dwelling houses into HMOs.

We bring together our trusted team to convert single dwelling properties into innovative, affordable, and quality HMOs.

Our team includes the following professionals:

• Architect
• Heating engineer
• Electrician
• Project Manager/Builder
• Painter/Decorator
• Scaffolding team
• Carpenters
• Bricklayers
• Roofing experts

Our HMO Promise

As specialists in HMO conversions since 2006, we promise you:

1)        On-time and on budget completion regardless of the size or condition of your property.

2)        You’ll be kept up to date at all stages. Communication is our key to success.

3)        There’ll be no surprises and no excuses. We deliver what we say we will.

4)        Your HMO conversion will be compliant, and you will receive the HMO licence

5)        Rental returns of three times your current monthly rent (some of our clients achieve up to five times increase)

Next Steps?

If you want to know if your single dwelling house can be converted to an HMO, call us on +44 (0) 203 286 6468 or email us at HMO@RekaProperty.co.uk.