What is included in kitchens and bathrooms?
Ensuites, communal kitchens and shared bathrooms built for sharing. Choose a service for the detail, the rules in each nation and guide prices.
Ensuite installation
An HMO ensuite is a small private shower room, with a WC and basin, built into or next to a letting room. Fitting one means planning drainage (often with a macerator or small-bore pump), extraction, waterproofing and electrics, while keeping the bedroom big enough to meet the size standard.
Communal kitchen refits
An HMO kitchen refit designs and installs a shared kitchen with enough sinks, cookers, worktop, storage and fridge space for everyone in the house. Councils usually publish ratios, for example extra cooking and sink provision once a kitchen serves more than five people.
Shared bathroom and shower room refits
A shared bathroom refit replaces worn or failing bathrooms in an HMO with hard-wearing, easy-clean ones: good extraction, waterproofing, thermostatic showers and finishes that stand up to several users a day. Adding a second bathroom or separate WC is often what licensing needs.
Guide prices
| Item | UK typical | Per |
|---|---|---|
| Ensuite shower room added to a bedroom | £4,000 – £10,000 | ensuite |
| Shared bathroom refit | £5,500 – £9,000 | bathroom |
| Communal HMO kitchen with extra cooking and sink capacity (our estimate from domestic ranges) | £8,000 – £18,000 | kitchen |
| Interlinked mains alarm system (Grade D type), small HMO (our estimate from installer guides) | £800 – £2,000 | house |
| Mould treatment and making good | £250 – £500 | room |
Questions
Does an ensuite count towards the room size?
No. The ensuite area is normally excluded when the bedroom is measured, so the remaining room must still meet the size standard.
How big does an HMO kitchen need to be?
Councils set their own standards, usually as a minimum floor area and a number of sinks, cookers and worktop lengths per number of sharers. We design to the standard for your address.
How many bathrooms does my HMO need?
The national test is adequacy; councils usually set a ratio, often one bathroom per five sharers, with an extra WC in some cases. We check your council’s figure.