Apex London Spec

HMO Compliance Works

We bring London rental properties up to HMO licensing standard: 30-minute fire separation, protected escape routes, compliant room sizes and amenities. From single remedial items to full HMO conversion, we work to your borough’s licensing conditions and liaise with council HMO officers so the licence is granted first time.

Written Guarantee: 5 Years

Average Timeline Range: 1 - 6 weeks

Licensing Standards, Borough by Borough

Mandatory HMO licensing applies across England to most properties housing five or more people from two or more households — but in London that is only the start. Many boroughs run additional licensing schemes covering smaller HMOs of three or four sharers, and selective licensing schemes covering all private rentals in designated areas. Each borough publishes its own amenity and space standards, and they differ in the details: kitchen provision per occupant, bathroom ratios, heating and ventilation requirements. We work to the specific standards of the borough your property sits in, not a generic checklist. Before quoting we review the council’s published HMO standards and your draft or existing licence conditions, then survey the property against them item by item.

Fire Separation and Protected Escape Routes

The heart of HMO fire safety is the protected escape route: a hallway and staircase that will hold back fire and smoke for 30 minutes while occupants get out. Achieving it in a converted Victorian terrace means 30-minute fire-resisting construction between lettings and the escape route, FD30 fire doors with self-closers on risk rooms, fire-stopping around services, and a Grade D1 interlinked alarm system throughout. We deliver all of it with one team: upgrading walls and ceilings with fire-rated board and skim, fitting certified doorsets, sealing penetrations with intumescent products and installing the detection. Where layouts make a protected route impractical, we price the alternatives the guidance allows — such as sprinkler or enhanced detection solutions — before you commit either way.

Room Sizes and Amenity Standards

Since 2018, mandatory licensing conditions have set national minimum sleeping room sizes: 6.51 square metres for a single adult, 10.22 square metres for two adults, and 4.64 square metres for a child under ten. Rooms below minimum cannot lawfully be let as sleeping accommodation, and councils count usable floor area strictly — space under ceilings lower than 1.5 metres generally does not count. We measure properly before anything else, then advise where reconfiguration pays: moving a partition 600 millimetres can turn a non-compliant box room into a lettable bedroom. Amenity works follow the same logic — additional bathrooms, enlarged shared kitchens with the cooker, sink and worktop provision the borough requires, and the heating and ventilation upgrades licence conditions routinely specify.

Working With Council HMO Officers

A licensing application goes better when the works and the paperwork arrive together. We liaise directly with borough HMO and environmental health officers on our clients’ behalf: confirming interpretations of standards before work starts, scheduling works to meet improvement notice deadlines, and attending pre-licensing inspections so technical questions are answered on the spot. For landlords buying property to convert, we offer a pre-purchase HMO feasibility survey: what the borough will require, what the works will cost and what the compliant room count will be — before you exchange. It is far cheaper to discover a staircase problem at survey stage than after completion. Every project ends with a documentation pack matched to the licence conditions, ready for the council file.

Certified Technology & Material Specifications

To maintain our Renowise prestige guarantee levels, our regional surveyor vans carry specialized heavy-duty diagnostic rigs and certified premium hardware.

PREMIUM COPPER CORE JOINTS, UL-CERTIFIED CIRCUIT RELAYS, INDUSTRIAL GRADE SEALENTS

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Do I need an HMO licence for my London rental?

If five or more people from two or more households share, mandatory licensing applies nationally. Many London boroughs also run additional licensing for smaller HMOs of three or four sharers, and selective licensing for all rentals in designated areas — schemes change, so check your borough’s current designation. Letting a licensable HMO without a licence risks an unlimited fine and rent repayment orders covering up to 12 months of rent.

How much does HMO conversion cost in London?

Bringing a standard three-storey terrace up to licensable HMO standard — fire separation, FD30 doors, Grade D1 alarms and amenity upgrades — typically costs £10,000 to £30,000 at 2026 prices depending on starting condition. A full conversion with added bathrooms and reconfigured rooms can run £40,000–£80,000 or more. We quote against your borough’s published standards after a measured survey.

What is the minimum bedroom size for an HMO?

National mandatory conditions under the Housing Act 2004 set 6.51 square metres for a single adult over ten, 10.22 for two adults and 4.64 for a child under ten, with floor area under 1.5-metre ceiling height generally excluded. Some boroughs apply more generous standards through their own schemes; we measure and advise against the standard that actually applies to you.

Can you deal with the council for me?

Yes. We liaise with borough HMO officers on interpretation, deadlines and inspections, and we attend the pre-licensing inspection alongside you or your agent. Most of our HMO clients are letting agents and portfolio landlords who hand us the licence conditions and collect the completed file.