A house to HMO conversion turns a single-family home into a house in multiple occupation: a shared home for unrelated people with private bedrooms and shared kitchen or bathroom space. For a house in Hove we start with a measured survey, check the council’s written HMO standards for the number of sharers, and then price each item separately.
- Area
- East Sussex, England
- Postcodes
- BN2 and BN3
- Location
- 1 miles west of Brighton
- Council
- Brighton & Hove City Council
- Pricing region
- South East
What does house to HMO conversion in Hove involve?
- Extra bathrooms, shower rooms or ensuites
- A communal kitchen sized for the number of sharers
- Layout drawings showing bedrooms, kitchens, bathrooms and the escape route
- Measured survey and room-size check against the licensing standards
- New stud walls, door openings and room splits
Which rules apply in Hove?
House to HMO conversion 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:
- Licences last up to 5 years and carry conditions on gas and electrical safety, alarms, room sizes and waste.
- 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.
- 7 or more sharers is a sui generis large HMO and normally needs planning permission.
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 does house to HMO conversion cost in Hove?
| Item | UK typical | Local guide | Per |
|---|---|---|---|
| Typical 3–4 bed house to a 5–6 bed HMO, all-in | £30,000 – £75,000 | £33,600 – £84,000 | project |
| Conversion works per letting room (walls, linings, electrics, decoration; excludes kitchens, bathrooms and fire systems; our estimate) | £3,500 – £6,500 | £3,900 – £7,300 | 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 |
| Interlinked mains alarm system (Grade D type), small HMO (our estimate from installer guides) | £800 – £2,000 | £900 – £2,250 | house |
These are typical ranges including VAT, adjusted for South East, where costs run above the UK average. The fixed price for a house in Hove follows a site visit.
How long does it take?
Allow 6–14 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?
Typical reasons for this work in Hove:
- A council has said an existing shared house needs works before a licence
- A family let is moving to room-by-room letting
Questions about house to HMO conversion in Hove
Will the house pass licensing once the works are done?
We build to the standards your council publishes and give you the certificates and drawings an inspection asks for. The licence decision belongs to the licensing authority, so we never promise approval, but we design to meet the written standards from day one.
Which postcodes in Hove do you work in?
All of them, including BN2 and BN3, and the surrounding parts of East Sussex.
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 does house to HMO conversion 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.
House to HMO conversion 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
Other HMO services in Hove
- Small HMO conversions (3–6 sharers) in Hove
- Large HMO conversions (7+ sharers) in Hove
- HMO fire safety upgrades in Hove
- Ensuite installation in Hove
- Communal kitchen refits in Hove
- Layout changes and room reconfiguration in Hove
- Escape routes, emergency lighting and fire stopping in Hove
- EPC and energy upgrades in Hove