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. In Gillingham, a place of roughly 100,000 people in Kent, the work is planned around the HMO rules for England and the council’s written HMO standards.
- Area
- Kent, England
- Postcodes
- ME7
- Location
- 30 miles east of London
- Council
- Medway Council
- Pricing region
- South East
What does house to HMO conversion in Gillingham involve?
- Fire doors, fire-rated linings and an interlinked fire alarm
- Extra bathrooms, shower rooms or ensuites
- Decoration, flooring and a handover pack for licensing
- New stud walls, door openings and room splits
- A communal kitchen sized for the number of sharers
Which rules apply in Gillingham?
Here is what usually applies to a Gillingham job of this kind. It is general information rather than legal advice, and the council’s written HMO standards have the final detail.
- Mandatory HMO licence for 5 or more people in 2 or more households (since October 2018); councils can add additional licensing for smaller HMOs.
- Licensed HMOs must meet national minimum bedroom sizes: 6.51 m² for one person aged 10 or over, 10.22 m² for two, and 4.64 m² for a child under 10.
- Council standards often step up at 5 and 6 sharers, for example a separate WC at 5 and a second bathroom from 6.
- 7 or more sharers is a sui generis large HMO and normally needs planning permission.
Medway Council: local HMO schemes
| Article 4 (HMO) | In force in part of the council area Article 4 Direction for seven wards (Chatham Central & Brompton, Fort Pitt, Gillingham North/South, Luton, Strood North & Frindsbury, Watling), approved 16 Dec 2025, in force Jan 2026. |
|---|---|
| Additional licensing | Approved, starts 4 Jan 2027 Six wards (Chatham Central & Brompton, Fort Pitt, Gillingham North and South, Luton, Watling), 4 Jan 2027 to 3 Jan 2032. |
| Selective licensing | Approved, starts 4 Jan 2027 Seven wards (as additional licensing plus Strood North & Frindsbury), 4 Jan 2027 to 3 Jan 2032. |
Schemes change. Check the council’s current pages for the exact address in Gillingham before you buy or start work. Source: Medway Council HMO licensing page, checked 2026-10-31.
How much does house to HMO conversion cost in Gillingham?
| 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 Gillingham 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 Gillingham landlords need it?
Landlords in Gillingham most often ask us for this when:
- You have bought, or are buying, a house to let to sharers
- A council has said an existing shared house needs works before a licence
Questions about house to HMO conversion in Gillingham
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.
How far do you travel from Gillingham?
We cover the whole of Kent and work UK-wide. For Gillingham the nearest towns on our list are Chatham (1 miles), Rochester (2 miles), Strood (3 miles).
Which council covers HMOs in Gillingham?
Gillingham is covered by Medway 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 Gillingham?
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 Gillingham
- Chatham · 1 mi
- Rochester · 2 mi
- Strood · 3 mi
- Gravesend · 8 mi
- Maidstone · 9 mi
- Sittingbourne · 9 mi
- All of Kent
Other HMO services in Gillingham
- Small HMO conversions (3–6 sharers) in Gillingham
- Large HMO conversions (7+ sharers) in Gillingham
- HMO fire safety upgrades in Gillingham
- Ensuite installation in Gillingham
- Communal kitchen refits in Gillingham
- Layout changes and room reconfiguration in Gillingham
- Shared bathroom and shower room refits in Gillingham
- Fire doors in Gillingham