01Conversions
Licence plans for London houses in multiple occupation
A council will not issue an HMO licence on a description. It wants floor plans, room by room, with the sizes the law sets and the fire safety marked. We measure the house, draw the plans to the licensing standard and complete the form. From £545, fixed before we start.
From £545
- MCIAT chartered architectural technologists
- £2m professional indemnity insurance
- LABC Partnered
- ICO registered
02The fee
One fixed fee, published
What you get
- A measured visit to the house, room by room
- Floor plans to the council's licensing standard, with room areas and ceiling heights
- Escape routes, doors and alarm positions marked, drawn from your fire strategy
- The council's licence application form, completed for you to sign
- A short note of any room that falls under the legal minimum, with the options
The council's licence fee is separate and goes to the council. Our fee carries no VAT to add. Licence conditions vary by borough, so we check yours first.
03How it runs
From a measured house to a licence application
5 people
An HMO needs a mandatory licence when occupied by five or more persons living in two or more households. Source: legislation.gov.uk
04Conversions
Who needs a licence
A house in multiple occupation needs a mandatory licence where it is occupied by five or more people living in two or more separate households. The house must also meet one of three tests in the Housing Act: the standard test, the self-contained flat test or the converted building test. Purpose-built flats in a block of three or more are excluded from the flat test.
A smaller HMO can still need a licence under a borough's own additional or selective scheme. We check the council's schemes when we quote, because a licence you did not know you needed is a matter of fines, not paperwork.
05Conversions
The room sizes the law sets
A sleeping room must be at least 6.51 square metres for one person over ten, 10.22 square metres for two people over ten, and 4.64 square metres for a child under ten. Any part of the floor with a ceiling lower than 1.5 m is not counted, which catches many attic and eaves rooms.
That last rule is why measuring is a job for the survey and not an estimate. We draw each room with its floor area, the area under 1.5 m taken out, and the number of people it can be licensed for.
06Conversions
Fire first, then the licence
Fire safety is the heart of the licence. We draw the escape routes, the doors and the detection to the standard the guidance sets, starting from the minimum for any dwelling, a Grade D2 alarm system, and adding what the licence authority asks on top. Our fire strategy plans are drawn from the same model so the two documents agree.
If you are converting a house to an HMO from scratch, the planning and the layout come first.
07The record
Figures that shape the job
5 people
An HMO needs a mandatory licence when occupied by five or more persons living in two or more households.
Source: Licensing of HMOs (Prescribed Description) (England) Order 2018, article 4, checked 25 Oct 2026
3 tests
The standard test, the self-contained flat test or the converted building test must also be met.
Source: Licensing of HMOs (Prescribed Description) (England) Order 2018, article 4, checked 25 Oct 2026
6.51 m²
Smallest bedroom floor area for one person over ten; 10.22 square metres for two, 4.64 for a child under ten.
Source: Licensing and Management of HMOs (Mandatory Conditions) (England) Regulations 2018, regulation 2, checked 17 Oct 2026
1.5 m
Floor under a ceiling lower than this height does not count towards a room's area.
Source: Licensing and Management of HMOs (Mandatory Conditions) (England) Regulations 2018, regulation 2, checked 17 Oct 2026
Grade D2
The least fire detection and alarm system for any dwelling, before extra measures a licence may add.
Source: Approved Document B, volume 1, paragraphs 1.1 and 1.2, checked 15 Oct 2026
C3 to C4
A change from a house to a small HMO of up to six is permitted development unless an Article 4 direction removes it.
Source: General Permitted Development Order 2015, Schedule 2, Part 3, checked 15 Oct 2026
08Questions
What clients ask before they instruct us
Do I need a licence for a three-person house share?
Not under the mandatory scheme, which starts at five people in two or more households. Some boroughs run wider schemes, so we check your council's before we quote.
What does the pack cost?
From £545 with no VAT to add, covering the visit, the plans and the form. Larger houses are confirmed in writing before you commit.
What if a room is below the minimum?
We tell you at once, and the options are to take fewer occupants, extend the room or use it for something else. The licence is judged on the plan, so the answer must be on paper.
Does the pack include planning permission for the HMO?
No. A change to a small HMO is permitted development in many places, though Article 4 directions remove it in some boroughs. We check that first.
Will you submit the form for me?
We complete it and you sign and submit, because the licence holder must declare the contents. We answer the council's queries on the plans.
09Related
Related services and guides
Send us the address of your house.
We look up the conservation area, listing and Article 4 position, then reply with a fixed fee. A message before 3pm is answered the same working day.