House to HMO conversion across West Sussex

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 West Sussex we survey first, price each item separately and hand over the certificates and photos a council asks for.

Nation: England
Pricing region: South East
Postcode areas: RH, PO, BN, GU
Main towns: Crawley, Worthing, Bognor Regis, Littlehampton, Horsham

What does house to HMO conversion in West Sussex involve?

Rewiring or upgrades, with an electrical certificate
Layout drawings showing bedrooms, kitchens, bathrooms and the escape route
Measured survey and room-size check against the licensing standards
A communal kitchen sized for the number of sharers
Extra bathrooms, shower rooms or ensuites
Fire doors, fire-rated linings and an interlinked fire alarm

Which rules apply in West Sussex?

Mandatory HMO licence for 5 or more people in 2 or more households (since October 2018); councils can add additional licensing for smaller HMOs.
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.
A conversion can be a material change of use under the building regulations, so confirm with building control before work starts.

Councils in England can add additional licensing and Article 4 directions on top of the national rules. Check the council’s website for the exact address before you buy or start work.

How much does house to HMO conversion cost in West Sussex?

Regional adjustment for South East. 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	£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

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 West Sussex

Questions about house to HMO conversion in West Sussex

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.

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.

Do you carry out house to HMO conversion across West Sussex?

Yes, across the whole of West Sussex, including Crawley, Worthing, Bognor Regis.

Who licenses HMOs in West Sussex?

HMOs in West Sussex are licensed by the local council for the address. Where an area has several councils, each runs its own licensing and planning policies.