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 Gillingham, a place of roughly 100,000 people in Kent, the work is planned around the HMO rules for England and the council’s written HMO standards.
- Area
- Kent, England
- Postcodes
- ME7
- Location
- 30 miles east of London
- Council
- Medway Council
- Pricing region
- South East
What does student HMO refurbishment in Gillingham involve?
- Hard-wearing kitchens and worktops
- Fire safety checks and upgrades
- Extra bathroom or ensuites
- Study space and sockets in every room
- Summer works programme agreed in spring
Which rules apply in Gillingham?
Student HMO refurbishment in Gillingham must satisfy national law for England, the council’s written HMO standards and, where walls, drainage or fire separation change, the building rules. In short:
- Mandatory HMO licence for 5 or more people in 2 or more households (since October 2018); councils can add additional licensing for smaller HMOs.
- National rules ask for an adequate number of bathrooms, WCs and basins and suitably located kitchens; numeric ratios are set by each council.
- The Fire Safety Order 2005 applies to the common parts of HMOs, enforced by the fire and rescue authority.
- BS 7671, the wiring standard, calls for arc fault detection devices in HMOs on new socket circuits, such as rewires and consumer unit changes.
Medway Council: local HMO schemes
| Article 4 (HMO) | In force in part of the council area Article 4 Direction for seven wards (Chatham Central & Brompton, Fort Pitt, Gillingham North/South, Luton, Strood North & Frindsbury, Watling), approved 16 Dec 2025, in force Jan 2026. |
|---|---|
| Additional licensing | Approved, starts 4 Jan 2027 Six wards (Chatham Central & Brompton, Fort Pitt, Gillingham North and South, Luton, Watling), 4 Jan 2027 to 3 Jan 2032. |
| Selective licensing | Approved, starts 4 Jan 2027 Seven wards (as additional licensing plus Strood North & Frindsbury), 4 Jan 2027 to 3 Jan 2032. |
Schemes change. Check the council’s current pages for the exact address in Gillingham before you buy or start work. Source: Medway Council HMO licensing page, checked 2026-10-31.
How much does student HMO refurbishment cost in Gillingham?
| 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 | £4,500 – £10,100 | letting room |
| Communal HMO kitchen with extra cooking and sink capacity (our estimate from domestic ranges) | £8,000 – £18,000 | £8,950 – £20,150 | kitchen |
| Shared bathroom refit | £5,500 – £9,000 | £6,150 – £10,100 | bathroom |
| Interlinked mains alarm system (Grade D type), small HMO (our estimate from installer guides) | £800 – £2,000 | £900 – £2,250 | house |
| Full rewire, 4–5 bedroom house | £6,000 – £12,000 | £6,700 – £13,450 | house |
Prices in Gillingham are shown with our regional adjustment for South East (above the UK average). Your quote is itemised and fixed in writing once the scope and specification are agreed.
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 Gillingham landlords need it?
Typical reasons for this work in Gillingham:
- Houses let to students on yearly tenancies
- Houses that need to compete with purpose-built student blocks
Questions about student HMO refurbishment in Gillingham
Do student HMOs need a licence?
The same licensing rules apply as for any HMO. Many university towns also run additional licensing schemes, so we check the address.
Do you cover all of Gillingham?
Yes. We work across Gillingham and the ME7 postcode areas, plus the rest of Kent. Nearby places we also cover include Chatham, Rochester, Strood.
Which council covers HMOs in Gillingham?
Gillingham is covered by Medway Council. We read the council’s written HMO standards before pricing, and you should check the licence position for the exact address.
How much does student HMO refurbishment cost in Gillingham?
Our guide ranges for South East 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 Gillingham
- Chatham · 1 mi
- Rochester · 2 mi
- Strood · 3 mi
- Gravesend · 8 mi
- Maidstone · 9 mi
- Sittingbourne · 9 mi
- All of Kent
Other HMO services in Gillingham
- Void and between-tenancy refurbs in Gillingham
- Communal kitchen refits in Gillingham
- Ensuite installation in Gillingham
- HMO fire safety upgrades in Gillingham
- Bedroom upgrades and room refits in Gillingham
- Full HMO refurbishment in Gillingham
- Damp, mould and HHSRS repairs in Gillingham
- Commercial and above-shop to HMO in Gillingham