Full HMO refurbishment across County Down

In short: A full HMO refurbishment brings a tired or non-compliant shared house back up to standard in one project: strip-out, repairs, new kitchens and bathrooms, fire safety, electrics, heating, decoration and flooring. In County Down we survey first, price each item separately and hand over the certificates and photos a council asks for.

Nation: Northern Ireland
Pricing region: Northern Ireland
Postcode areas: BT
Main towns: Bangor (County Down), Banbridge, Holywood

What does full HMO refurbishment in County Down involve?

Rewire or electrical upgrades
Condition survey and schedule of works
Strip-out and making good
Fire doors, detection and escape route upgrades
Decoration, flooring and furniture-ready rooms
New or refitted kitchens and bathrooms

Which rules apply in County Down?

A licence is needed where 3 or more people forming more than two households live as their main home and pay rent; the NI HMO Unit at Belfast City Council licenses for every council.
Kitchens, bathrooms and WCs must meet the 2019 living accommodation standard regulations and licence conditions.
Doors on protected routes are typically FD30 or FD30S, self-closing on three hinges; emergency lighting is required in HMOs of 4 or more storeys.
HMO licence conditions require a satisfactory EICR at least every 5 years.
Licence conditions and council enforcement cover disrepair, damp and mould in licensed HMOs.

In Northern Ireland, licensing is run centrally by the NI HMO Unit, and all new HMOs need planning permission and building control approval from the local council.

How much does full HMO refurbishment cost in County Down?

Regional adjustment for Northern Ireland. Planning budgets: see our prices page.
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	£3,600 – £8,100	letting room
Communal HMO kitchen with extra cooking and sink capacity (our estimate from domestic ranges)	£8,000 – £18,000	£7,200 – £16,200	kitchen
Shared bathroom refit	£5,500 – £9,000	£4,950 – £8,100	bathroom
Interlinked mains alarm system (Grade D type), small HMO (our estimate from installer guides)	£800 – £2,000	£720 – £1,800	house
Full rewire, 4–5 bedroom house	£6,000 – £12,000	£5,400 – £10,800	house

Typical time on site: 4–12 weeks. For a figure for your house, try the guide-price tool.

Full HMO refurbishment by town in County Down

Questions about full HMO refurbishment in County Down

Will you deal with the council’s list of works?

Yes. If you have a schedule of works or an improvement notice, we price against it item by item and give you evidence of completion.

Can you refurbish an HMO while tenants live there?

Sometimes, room by room, with the escape route kept clear and the fire alarm working at all times. For heavier work it is usually quicker and safer to do it with the house empty. We plan the phasing with you.

Do you carry out full HMO refurbishment across County Down?

Yes, across the whole of County Down, including Bangor (County Down), Banbridge, Holywood.

Who licenses HMOs in County Down?

HMO licensing in County Down, as everywhere in Northern Ireland, is run by the NI HMO Unit at Belfast City Council. Planning and building control are handled by the local council.