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. In Hove, a town of around 75,000 people in East Sussex, the work is planned around the HMO rules for England and the council’s written HMO standards.
- Area
- East Sussex, England
- Postcodes
- BN2 and BN3
- Location
- 1 miles west of Brighton
- Council
- Brighton & Hove City Council
- Pricing region
- South East
What do professional and co-living HMO refurbs in Hove involve?
- Sound insulation between rooms
- High-quality fire doors and finishes
- Interior design and furnishing coordination
- Bike and bin storage
- Smart heating and lighting controls
Which rules apply in Hove?
Professional and co-living HMO refurbs in Hove must satisfy national law for England, the council’s written HMO standards and, where walls, drainage or fire separation change, the building rules. In short:
- 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.
- The Fire Safety Order 2005 applies to the common parts of HMOs, enforced by the fire and rescue authority.
Brighton & Hove City Council: local HMO schemes
| Article 4 (HMO) | In force across the council area City-wide C3-C4 Article 4 Direction confirmed Jan 2020 and in force June 2020 (replaced the 2013 five-ward direction). |
|---|---|
| Additional licensing | In force across the council area Additional licensing across all 23 wards 1 Jul 2024-30 Jun 2029. |
| Selective licensing | In force in part of the council area Kemptown, Moulsecoomb & Bevendean, Queen's Park, Whitehawk & Marina 2 Sep 2024-1 Sep 2029. Central Hove & Regency designation (made 6 Jul 2026, due 20 Oct 2026) is paused pending a legal challenge. |
Schemes change. Check the council’s current pages for the exact address in Hove before you buy or start work. Source: Brighton & Hove City Council HMO licensing page, checked 2026-10-31.
How much do professional and co-living HMO refurbs cost in Hove?
| 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 | £4,500 – £10,100 | letting room |
| Ensuite shower room added to a bedroom | £4,000 – £10,000 | £4,500 – £11,200 | ensuite |
| Communal HMO kitchen with extra cooking and sink capacity (our estimate from domestic ranges) | £8,000 – £18,000 | £8,950 – £20,150 | kitchen |
| Acoustic upgrade to a party or partition wall | £900 – £2,000 | £1,000 – £2,250 | wall |
Prices in Hove are shown with our regional adjustment for South East (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.
When do Hove landlords need it?
Landlords in Hove most often ask us for this when:
- Town-centre houses near transport links
- Moving from student or budget lets to professional sharers
Questions about professional and co-living HMO refurbs in Hove
Do kitchenettes in rooms change the fire requirements?
Often, yes. Cooking in bedrooms usually means a heat detector in the room and a higher standard of fire separation. We plan it with the fire risk assessment and council standards.
Do you cover all of Hove?
Yes. We work across Hove and the BN2 and BN3 postcode areas, plus the rest of East Sussex. Nearby places we also cover include Brighton, Portslade, Rottingdean.
Which council covers HMOs in Hove?
Hove is covered by Brighton & Hove 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 Hove?
Our guide ranges for South East 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 Hove
- Brighton · 1 mi
- Portslade · 2 mi
- Rottingdean · 5 mi
- Burgess Hill · 9 mi
- Worthing · 9 mi
- Haywards Heath · 12 mi
- All of East Sussex