A small HMO is a shared house for three to six unrelated people. In Exeter, a place of roughly 130,000 people in Devon, the work is planned around the HMO rules for England and the council’s written HMO standards. Exeter has a university population, so many shared houses are let to students on yearly tenancies, and summer is the main window for works.
- Area
- Devon, England
- Postcodes
- EX2 and EX4
- Location
- 36 miles north-east of Plymouth
- Council
- Exeter City Council
- Pricing region
- South West
What do small HMO conversions (3–6 sharers) in Exeter involve?
- Interlinked smoke and heat detection
- Kitchen enlarged or refitted for the number of sharers
- Room-by-room size check before any work starts
- Second bathroom, shower room or ensuites
- Electrical upgrades and certificate
Which rules apply in Exeter?
The rules below are the England-wide position for this kind of work. Councils add their own standards and schemes on top, so we always check the address in Exeter before we price.
- Licences last up to 5 years and carry conditions on gas and electrical safety, alarms, room sizes and waste.
- 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.
- 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.
Exeter City Council: local HMO schemes
| Article 4 (HMO) | In force in part of the council area New, larger Article 4 Direction (around the city centre and university) confirmed 28 Mar 2024, in effect 23 Dec 2024, replacing the 2010 direction. |
|---|---|
| Additional licensing | No scheme found |
| Selective licensing | No scheme found |
Schemes change. Check the council’s current pages for the exact address in Exeter before you buy or start work. Source: Exeter City Council HMO licensing page, checked 2026-10-31.
How much do small HMO conversions (3–6 sharers) cost in Exeter?
| Item | UK typical | Local guide | Per |
|---|---|---|---|
| Typical 3–4 bed house to a 5–6 bed HMO, all-in | £30,000 – £75,000 | £31,200 – £78,000 | project |
| Conversion works per letting room (walls, linings, electrics, decoration; excludes kitchens, bathrooms and fire systems; our estimate) | £3,500 – £6,500 | £3,650 – £6,750 | letting room |
| Shared bathroom refit | £5,500 – £9,000 | £5,700 – £9,350 | bathroom |
| Interlinked mains alarm system (Grade D type), small HMO (our estimate from installer guides) | £800 – £2,000 | £830 – £2,100 | house |
| FD30S fire door leaf into an existing frame, with seals, closer and hinges, fitted | £300 – £600 | £310 – £620 | door |
Prices in Exeter are shown with our regional adjustment for South West (above the UK average). Your quote is itemised and fixed in writing once the scope and specification are agreed.
How long does it take?
Most jobs of this kind take 4–10 weeks. If a council deadline applies in Exeter, tell us at the first call so the programme is built around it.
For student houses in Exeter, booking by spring is the safest way to make the summer gap.
When do Exeter landlords need it?
Landlords in Exeter most often ask us for this when:
- An existing small HMO needs bringing up to date
- A three or four-bedroom house you want to let to sharers
Questions about small HMO conversions (3–6 sharers) in Exeter
Does a small HMO need a licence?
In England a mandatory licence is needed when five or more people from two or more households share, and smaller HMOs can need one where the council runs additional licensing. Wales still applies a three-storey test, while in Scotland and Northern Ireland every HMO needs a licence. We check the address and tell you which applies before quoting.
Do you cover all of Exeter?
Yes. We work across Exeter and the EX2 and EX4 postcode areas, plus the rest of Devon. Nearby places we also cover include Heavitree, Exmouth, Tiverton.
Which council covers HMOs in Exeter?
Exeter is covered by Exeter 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 do small HMO conversions (3–6 sharers) cost in Exeter?
Our guide ranges for South West 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.
Small HMO conversions (3–6 sharers) near Exeter
- Heavitree · 1 mi
- Exmouth · 9 mi
- Tiverton · 12 mi
- Newton Abbot · 14 mi
- Torquay · 18 mi
- Paignton · 20 mi
- All of Devon
Other HMO services in Exeter
- House to HMO conversion in Exeter
- Ensuite installation in Exeter
- Fire alarm and detection systems in Exeter
- Communal kitchen refits in Exeter
- Fire doors in Exeter
- Licence condition and schedule-of-works in Exeter
- Escape routes, emergency lighting and fire stopping in Exeter
- Damp, mould and HHSRS repairs in Exeter