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 Portsmouth, a place of roughly 210,000 people in Hampshire, the work is planned around the HMO rules for England and the council’s written HMO standards. With students as well as working sharers renting in Portsmouth, we plan bigger jobs for the gap between academic-year tenancies where we can.
- Area
- Hampshire, England
- Postcodes
- PO1, PO4 and PO5
- Location
- 15 miles south-east of Southampton
- Council
- Portsmouth City Council
- Pricing region
- South East
What does full HMO refurbishment in Portsmouth involve?
- Damp and mould repairs
- New or refitted kitchens and bathrooms
- Condition survey and schedule of works
- Strip-out and making good
- Rewire or electrical upgrades
Which rules apply in Portsmouth?
Here is what usually applies to a Portsmouth job of this kind. It is general information rather than legal advice, and the council’s written HMO standards have the final detail.
- Licences last up to 5 years and carry conditions on gas and electrical safety, alarms, room sizes and waste.
- Council standards often step up at 5 and 6 sharers, for example a separate WC at 5 and a second bathroom from 6.
- The Fire Safety Order 2005 applies to the common parts of HMOs, enforced by the fire and rescue authority.
- BS 7671, the wiring standard, calls for arc fault detection devices in HMOs on new socket circuits, such as rewires and consumer unit changes.
Portsmouth City Council: local HMO schemes
| Article 4 (HMO) | In force across the council area Covers the whole city; in force since November 2011. |
|---|---|
| Additional licensing | In force across the council area City-wide additional HMO licensing 1 Sep 2023-31 Aug 2028. |
| Selective licensing | No scheme found |
Schemes change. Check the council’s current pages for the exact address in Portsmouth before you buy or start work. Source: Portsmouth City Council HMO licensing page, checked 2026-10-31.
How much does full HMO refurbishment cost in Portsmouth?
| 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 |
| Communal HMO kitchen with extra cooking and sink capacity (our estimate from domestic ranges) | £8,000 – £18,000 | £8,950 – £20,150 | kitchen |
| Shared bathroom refit | £5,500 – £9,000 | £6,150 – £10,100 | bathroom |
| Interlinked mains alarm system (Grade D type), small HMO (our estimate from installer guides) | £800 – £2,000 | £900 – £2,250 | house |
| Full rewire, 4–5 bedroom house | £6,000 – £12,000 | £6,700 – £13,450 | house |
Use these as a starting point for budgeting. Access, condition and the council’s requirements in Portsmouth can move the figure either way, which is why we quote after seeing the house.
How long does it take?
Most jobs of this kind take 4–12 weeks. If a council deadline applies in Portsmouth, tell us at the first call so the programme is built around it.
For student houses in Portsmouth, booking by spring is the safest way to make the summer gap.
When do Portsmouth landlords need it?
We usually get the call when:
- You have bought an existing HMO that needs work
- A council inspection or licence renewal has listed defects
Questions about full HMO refurbishment in Portsmouth
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.
Do you cover all of Portsmouth?
Yes. We work across Portsmouth and the PO1, PO4 and PO5 postcode areas, plus the rest of Hampshire. Nearby places we also cover include Gosport, Fareham, Ryde.
Which council covers HMOs in Portsmouth?
Portsmouth is covered by Portsmouth 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 does full HMO refurbishment cost in Portsmouth?
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.
Full HMO refurbishment near Portsmouth
- Gosport · 2 mi
- Fareham · 5 mi
- Ryde · 6 mi
- Havant · 6 mi
- Waterlooville · 6 mi
- Cowes · 9 mi
- All of Hampshire
Other HMO services in Portsmouth
- Void and between-tenancy refurbs in Portsmouth
- HMO fire safety upgrades in Portsmouth
- Rewires and EICR remedials in Portsmouth
- Communal kitchen refits in Portsmouth
- Shared bathroom and shower room refits in Portsmouth
- Damp, mould and HHSRS repairs in Portsmouth
- Licence condition and schedule-of-works in Portsmouth
- Extensions for extra rooms in Portsmouth