A small HMO is a shared house for three to six unrelated people. In Blackburn, a place of roughly 150,000 people in Lancashire, the work is planned around the HMO rules for England and the council’s written HMO standards.
- Area
- Lancashire, England
- Postcodes
- BB1 and BB2
- Location
- 9 miles east of Preston
- Pricing region
- North West
What do small HMO conversions (3–6 sharers) in Blackburn involve?
- Electrical upgrades and certificate
- Locks, door closers and thumb-turn locks on the exit route
- Kitchen enlarged or refitted for the number of sharers
- Room-by-room size check before any work starts
- Fire doors to rooms off the escape route
Which rules apply in Blackburn?
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 Blackburn before we price.
- Mandatory HMO licence for 5 or more people in 2 or more households (since October 2018); councils can add additional licensing for smaller HMOs.
- 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.
- Council standards often step up at 5 and 6 sharers, for example a separate WC at 5 and a second bathroom from 6.
- 7 or more sharers is a sui generis large HMO and normally needs planning permission.
How much do small HMO conversions (3–6 sharers) cost in Blackburn?
| Item | UK typical | Local guide | Per |
|---|---|---|---|
| Typical 3–4 bed house to a 5–6 bed HMO, all-in | £30,000 – £75,000 | £28,800 – £72,000 | project |
| Conversion works per letting room (walls, linings, electrics, decoration; excludes kitchens, bathrooms and fire systems; our estimate) | £3,500 – £6,500 | £3,350 – £6,250 | letting room |
| Shared bathroom refit | £5,500 – £9,000 | £5,300 – £8,650 | bathroom |
| Interlinked mains alarm system (Grade D type), small HMO (our estimate from installer guides) | £800 – £2,000 | £770 – £1,900 | house |
| FD30S fire door leaf into an existing frame, with seals, closer and hinges, fitted | £300 – £600 | £290 – £580 | door |
Use these as a starting point for budgeting. Access, condition and the council’s requirements in Blackburn can move the figure either way, which is why we quote after seeing the house.
How long does it take?
Allow 4–10 weeks on site for a typical job. Drawings, approvals and long-lead items such as kitchens or fire door sets are booked before we start.
When do Blackburn landlords need it?
Landlords in Blackburn most often ask us for this when:
- You want a three to six sharer layout that fits the local planning rules
- A three or four-bedroom house you want to let to sharers
Questions about small HMO conversions (3–6 sharers) in Blackburn
How many bathrooms does a small HMO need?
National rules in England say amenities must be adequate for the number of sharers, and councils set the numbers: often a bathroom plus a separate WC at five people and a second bathroom from six. We work to the figure your council publishes.
Do you cover all of Blackburn?
Yes. We work across Blackburn and the BB1 and BB2 postcode areas, plus the rest of Lancashire. Nearby places we also cover include Darwen, Accrington, Chorley.
Does a shared house in Blackburn need an HMO licence?
In England, a mandatory licence is needed for 5 or more people from 2 or more households. Smaller HMOs can need a licence where the council runs additional licensing, which is common in towns with many shared houses. Check the council’s website for the address.
How much do small HMO conversions (3–6 sharers) cost in Blackburn?
Our guide ranges for North 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 Blackburn
- Darwen · 4 mi
- Accrington · 5 mi
- Chorley · 9 mi
- Rawtenstall · 9 mi
- Preston · 9 mi
- Leyland · 9 mi
- All of Lancashire