A professional or co-living HMO refurbishment creates a higher-specification shared home: ensuite bedrooms, well-designed shared kitchens and lounges, good sound insulation, and finishes aimed at working tenants. For a house in Plymouth we start with a measured survey, check the council’s written HMO standards for the number of sharers, and then price each item separately. With students as well as working sharers renting in Plymouth, we plan bigger jobs for the gap between academic-year tenancies where we can.
- Area
- Devon, England
- Postcodes
- PL1, PL2, PL3 and PL4
- Council
- Plymouth City Council
- Pricing region
- South West
What do professional and co-living HMO refurbs in Plymouth involve?
- Smart heating and lighting controls
- Bike and bin storage
- Designer communal kitchen and lounge
- Ensuite to every room where space allows
- Sound insulation between rooms
Which rules apply in Plymouth?
Here is what usually applies to a Plymouth job of this kind. It is general information rather than legal advice, and the council’s written HMO standards have the final detail.
- Mandatory HMO licence for 5 or more people in 2 or more households (since October 2018); councils can add additional licensing for smaller HMOs.
- Floor area under a ceiling lower than 1.5 m does not count towards the room size, and many councils set larger sizes.
- National rules ask for an adequate number of bathrooms, WCs and basins and suitably located kitchens; numeric ratios are set by each council.
- Fire precautions follow a risk assessment; the LACORS Housing – Fire Safety guide (2008) is guidance, not law, but many councils base their standards on it.
Plymouth City Council: local HMO schemes
| Article 4 (HMO) | In force in part of the council area Article 4 Direction covering 11 neighbourhoods (incl. Mutley & Greenbank, City Centre, Stoke & Stonehouse, Lipson & Laira, Peverell) in force 14 Sep 2012. |
|---|---|
| Additional licensing | No scheme found |
| Selective licensing | No scheme found |
Schemes change. Check the council’s current pages for the exact address in Plymouth before you buy or start work. Source: Plymouth City Council HMO licensing page, checked 2026-10-31.
How much do professional and co-living HMO refurbs cost in Plymouth?
| Item | UK typical | Local guide | Per |
|---|---|---|---|
| Full refurbishment per letting room, with a share of communal areas (excludes kitchens, bathrooms and fire systems; our estimate) | £4,000 – £9,000 | £4,150 – £9,350 | letting room |
| Ensuite shower room added to a bedroom | £4,000 – £10,000 | £4,150 – £10,400 | ensuite |
| Communal HMO kitchen with extra cooking and sink capacity (our estimate from domestic ranges) | £8,000 – £18,000 | £8,300 – £18,700 | kitchen |
| Acoustic upgrade to a party or partition wall | £900 – £2,000 | £940 – £2,100 | wall |
Prices in Plymouth are shown with our regional adjustment for South West (above the UK average). Your quote is itemised and fixed in writing once the scope and specification are agreed.
How long does it take?
Allow 8–16 weeks on site for a typical job. Drawings, approvals and long-lead items such as kitchens or fire door sets are booked before we start.
If the house is let to students, we work backwards from the next tenancy start date in Plymouth.
When do Plymouth landlords need it?
Typical reasons for this work in Plymouth:
- Moving from student or budget lets to professional sharers
- Larger houses with room for ensuites
Questions about professional and co-living HMO refurbs in Plymouth
Can every room have an ensuite?
Only where the room is still big enough after the ensuite is taken out and drainage can be reached. We check both before designing.
Which postcodes in Plymouth do you work in?
All of them, including PL1, PL2, PL3 and PL4, and the surrounding parts of Devon.
Which council covers HMOs in Plymouth?
Plymouth is covered by Plymouth City Council. We read the council’s written HMO standards before pricing, and you should check the licence position for the exact address.
How much do professional and co-living HMO refurbs cost in Plymouth?
Our guide ranges for South West are in the table on this page, and the guide-price tool gives a figure for your house. A fixed written quote follows a free site visit.
Professional and co-living HMO refurbs near Plymouth
- Plymstock · 2 mi
- Paignton · 26 mi
- Newton Abbot · 26 mi
- St Austell · 28 mi
- Torquay · 28 mi
- Exeter · 36 mi
- All of Devon
Other HMO services in Plymouth
- Ensuite installation in Plymouth
- Sound insulation in Plymouth
- Communal kitchen refits in Plymouth
- Bedroom upgrades and room refits in Plymouth
- Large HMO conversions (7+ sharers) in Plymouth
- EPC and energy upgrades in Plymouth
- Void and between-tenancy refurbs in Plymouth
- HMO fire safety upgrades in Plymouth