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 Midlothian, the work is planned around Scotland’s HMO rules and the standards the local council publishes.
- Nation
- Scotland
- Pricing region
- Scotland
- Postcode areas
- EH
- Main towns
- Bonnyrigg, Penicuik, Mayfield, Dalkeith
What do professional and co-living HMO refurbs in Midlothian involve?
- Sound insulation between rooms
- High-quality fire doors and finishes
- Designer communal kitchen and lounge
- Smart heating and lighting controls
- Bike and bin storage
- Kitchenettes in rooms where the layout allows
Which rules apply in Midlothian?
- 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 Midlothian?
| 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 Midlothian
Questions about professional and co-living HMO refurbs in Midlothian
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.
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 carry out professional and co-living HMO refurbs across Midlothian?
Yes, across the whole of Midlothian, including Bonnyrigg, Penicuik, Mayfield.
Who licenses HMOs in Midlothian?
Midlothian council licenses HMOs in its area. Every HMO in Scotland needs a licence.
Other HMO services in Midlothian
- Ensuite installation in Midlothian
- Sound insulation in Midlothian
- Communal kitchen refits in Midlothian
- Bedroom upgrades and room refits in Midlothian
- Large HMO conversions (7+ sharers) in Midlothian
- EPC and energy upgrades in Midlothian
- Extensions for extra rooms in Midlothian
- Void and between-tenancy refurbs in Midlothian