A student HMO refurbishment upgrades a shared house let to students, using hard-wearing finishes and planned around the academic year so the work is finished before the next tenancy starts. In Oldham, a place of roughly 240,000 people in Greater Manchester, the work is planned around the HMO rules for England and the council’s written HMO standards.
- Area
- Greater Manchester, England
- Postcodes
- OL1, OL2, OL8 and OL9
- Location
- 6 miles north-east of Manchester
- Pricing region
- North West
What does student HMO refurbishment in Oldham involve?
- Broadband and electrics upgrades
- Summer works programme agreed in spring
- Extra bathroom or ensuites
- Photo handover before move-in
- Hard-wearing kitchens and worktops
Which rules apply in Oldham?
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 Oldham 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.
- Council standards often step up at 5 and 6 sharers, for example a separate WC at 5 and a second bathroom from 6.
- Fire precautions follow a risk assessment; the LACORS Housing – Fire Safety guide (2008) is guidance, not law, but many councils base their standards on it.
- BS 7671, the wiring standard, calls for arc fault detection devices in HMOs on new socket circuits, such as rewires and consumer unit changes.
How much does student HMO refurbishment cost in Oldham?
| Item | UK typical | Local guide | Per |
|---|---|---|---|
| Full refurbishment per letting room, with a share of communal areas (excludes kitchens, bathrooms and fire systems; our estimate) | £4,000 – £9,000 | £3,850 – £8,650 | letting room |
| Communal HMO kitchen with extra cooking and sink capacity (our estimate from domestic ranges) | £8,000 – £18,000 | £7,700 – £17,300 | kitchen |
| 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 |
| Full rewire, 4–5 bedroom house | £6,000 – £12,000 | £5,750 – £11,500 | house |
Use these as a starting point for budgeting. Access, condition and the council’s requirements in Oldham can move the figure either way, which is why we quote after seeing the house.
How long does it take?
Typical time on site: 2–8 weeks over summer. We agree the programme with you before starting and send photo updates as the work progresses.
When do Oldham landlords need it?
Landlords in Oldham most often ask us for this when:
- Houses that need to compete with purpose-built student blocks
- The summer gap between tenancies
Questions about student HMO refurbishment in Oldham
When should I book a summer student refurbishment?
By spring if you can. The window between tenancies is short and contractors in university towns book up quickly.
How far do you travel from Oldham?
We cover the whole of Greater Manchester and work UK-wide. For Oldham the nearest towns on our list are Chadderton (1 miles), Royton (2 miles), Failsworth (3 miles).
Does a shared house in Oldham 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 does student HMO refurbishment cost in Oldham?
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.
Student HMO refurbishment near Oldham
- Chadderton · 1 mi
- Royton · 2 mi
- Failsworth · 3 mi
- Middleton · 3 mi
- Ashton-under-Lyne · 4 mi
- Droylsden · 4 mi
- All of Greater Manchester