In short: 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. Across Highland, the work is planned around Scotland’s HMO rules and the standards the local council publishes.
- Nation
- Scotland
- Pricing region
- Scotland
- Postcode areas
- IV, PH, KW, PA
- Main towns
- Inverness, Fort William
What do professional and co-living HMO refurbs in Highland involve?
- Bike and bin storage
- Smart heating and lighting controls
- Designer communal kitchen and lounge
- Sound insulation between rooms
- Interior design and furnishing coordination
- Kitchenettes in rooms where the layout allows
Which rules apply in Highland?
- Landlords must also be on the Scottish landlord register, renewed every 3 years.
- Room sizes are set by each council; East Lothian, for example, uses 6.5 m² for a single room with a shared lounge and kitchen, and 10 m² without.
- Kitchen, WC and bathroom ratios come from council standards; one WC and one bath or shower per 5 people is a common figure.
- The tolerable standard requires interlinked smoke alarms in the main living room and circulation spaces and a heat alarm in the kitchen; licensed HMOs must meet the council’s higher standard.
- Building standards apply to new partitions and conversions, and councils may set expectations through licence conditions.
Scottish councils set their own HMO licence standards and planning policies. Every HMO needs a licence, so check the council’s standards before you design the layout.
How much do professional and co-living HMO refurbs cost in Highland?
| 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 | £3,800 – £8,550 | letting room |
| Ensuite shower room added to a bedroom | £4,000 – £10,000 | £3,800 – £9,500 | ensuite |
| Communal HMO kitchen with extra cooking and sink capacity (our estimate from domestic ranges) | £8,000 – £18,000 | £7,600 – £17,100 | kitchen |
| Acoustic upgrade to a party or partition wall | £900 – £2,000 | £860 – £1,900 | wall |
Typical time on site: 8–16 weeks. For a figure for your house, try the guide-price tool.
Professional and co-living HMO refurbs by town in Highland
Questions about professional and co-living HMO refurbs in Highland
Is co-living treated differently from an HMO?
If unrelated people share facilities, it is normally an HMO, whatever it is called. Larger schemes can also raise planning questions.
Do you do the interior design?
We coordinate finishes and fittings with you, and can work with your interior designer or furnishing supplier.
Do you carry out professional and co-living HMO refurbs across Highland?
Yes, across the whole of Highland, including Inverness, Fort William.
Who licenses HMOs in Highland?
Highland council licenses HMOs in its area. Every HMO in Scotland needs a licence.
Other HMO services in Highland
- Ensuite installation in Highland
- Sound insulation in Highland
- Communal kitchen refits in Highland
- Bedroom upgrades and room refits in Highland
- Large HMO conversions (7+ sharers) in Highland
- EPC and energy upgrades in Highland
- Small HMO conversions (3–6 sharers) in Highland
- Layout changes and room reconfiguration in Highland