A small HMO is a shared house for three to six unrelated people. In Bow, a town of about 28,000 people in Greater London, the work is planned around the HMO rules for England and the council’s written HMO standards.
- Area
- Greater London, England
- Postcodes
- E3
- Location
- 5 miles east of London
- Council
- London Borough of Tower Hamlets
- Pricing region
- London
What do small HMO conversions (3–6 sharers) in Bow involve?
- Decoration and durable flooring
- Room-by-room size check before any work starts
- Fire doors to rooms off the escape route
- Kitchen enlarged or refitted for the number of sharers
- Interlinked smoke and heat detection
Which rules apply in Bow?
Here is what usually applies to a Bow job of this kind. It is general information rather than legal advice, and the council’s written HMO standards have the final detail.
- 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.
London Borough of Tower Hamlets: local HMO schemes
| Article 4 (HMO) | In force across the council area Borough-wide Article 4 Direction (C3 to C4) since 2021. |
|---|---|
| Additional licensing | In force across the council area Borough-wide additional licensing 1 Apr 2024-31 Mar 2029. |
| Selective licensing | No scheme found |
Schemes change. Check the council’s current pages for the exact address in Bow before you buy or start work. Source: London Borough of Tower Hamlets HMO licensing page, checked 2026-10-31.
How much do small HMO conversions (3–6 sharers) cost in Bow?
| Item | UK typical | Local guide | Per |
|---|---|---|---|
| Typical 3–4 bed house to a 5–6 bed HMO, all-in | £30,000 – £75,000 | £38,400 – £96,000 | project |
| Conversion works per letting room (walls, linings, electrics, decoration; excludes kitchens, bathrooms and fire systems; our estimate) | £3,500 – £6,500 | £4,500 – £8,300 | letting room |
| Shared bathroom refit | £5,500 – £9,000 | £7,050 – £11,500 | bathroom |
| Interlinked mains alarm system (Grade D type), small HMO (our estimate from installer guides) | £800 – £2,000 | £1,000 – £2,550 | house |
| FD30S fire door leaf into an existing frame, with seals, closer and hinges, fitted | £300 – £600 | £380 – £770 | door |
Prices in Bow are shown with our regional adjustment for London (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 Bow, tell us at the first call so the programme is built around it.
When do Bow landlords need it?
Typical reasons for this work in Bow:
- A three or four-bedroom house you want to let to sharers
- An existing small HMO needs bringing up to date
Questions about small HMO conversions (3–6 sharers) in Bow
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.
Which postcodes in Bow do you work in?
All of them, including E3, and the surrounding parts of Greater London.
Which council covers HMOs in Bow?
Bow is covered by London Borough of Tower Hamlets. 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 Bow?
Our guide ranges for London 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 Bow
- Stratford · 1 mi
- Canary Wharf · 1 mi
- Canning Town · 2 mi
- Leytonstone · 3 mi
- Greenwich · 3 mi
- Islington · 4 mi
- All of Greater London