House to HMO conversion across Na h-Eileanan Siar

In short: 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 Na h-Eileanan Siar we survey first, price each item separately and hand over the certificates and photos a council asks for.

Nation: Scotland
Pricing region: Scotland
Postcode areas: HS, PA
Main towns: Isle of Lewis

What does house to HMO conversion in Na h-Eileanan Siar involve?

Layout drawings showing bedrooms, kitchens, bathrooms and the escape route
Extra bathrooms, shower rooms or ensuites
A communal kitchen sized for the number of sharers
Rewiring or upgrades, with an electrical certificate
Decoration, flooring and a handover pack for licensing
Fire doors, fire-rated linings and an interlinked fire alarm

Which rules apply in Na h-Eileanan Siar?

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.
Scotland has no C4 use class: up to 5 residents can fall within Class 9 (houses), and HMO planning policy is set by each council, some of which require permission at lower numbers.
A building warrant may be needed for a change of use or for installing a fire alarm system; check with the council’s building standards service.

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 does house to HMO conversion cost in Na h-Eileanan Siar?

Regional adjustment for Scotland. Planning budgets: see our prices page.
Item	UK typical	Local guide	Per
Typical 3–4 bed house to a 5–6 bed HMO, all-in	£30,000 – £75,000	£28,500 – £71,250	project
Conversion works per letting room (walls, linings, electrics, decoration; excludes kitchens, bathrooms and fire systems; our estimate)	£3,500 – £6,500	£3,300 – £6,200	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
Interlinked mains alarm system (Grade D type), small HMO (our estimate from installer guides)	£800 – £2,000	£760 – £1,900	house

Typical time on site: 6–14 weeks. For a figure for your house, try the guide-price tool.

House to HMO conversion by town in Na h-Eileanan Siar

Isle of Lewis

Questions about house to HMO conversion in Na h-Eileanan Siar

Can you work to a council’s HMO standards document?

Yes. Councils publish their own amenity and space standards. We read the one for your address and work to it, including kitchen and bathroom ratios.

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.

Do you carry out house to HMO conversion across Na h-Eileanan Siar?

Yes, across the whole of Na h-Eileanan Siar, including Isle of Lewis.

Who licenses HMOs in Na h-Eileanan Siar?

Na h-Eileanan Siar council licenses HMOs in its area. Every HMO in Scotland needs a licence.