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 Solihull, a place of roughly 130,000 people in West Midlands, the work is planned around the HMO rules for England and the council’s written HMO standards.
- Area
- West Midlands, England
- Postcodes
- B26, B27 and B28
- Location
- 7 miles south-east of Birmingham
- Pricing region
- West Midlands
What does student HMO refurbishment in Solihull involve?
- Extra bathroom or ensuites
- Hard-wearing kitchens and worktops
- Summer works programme agreed in spring
- Photo handover before move-in
- Broadband and electrics upgrades
Which rules apply in Solihull?
Here is what usually applies to a Solihull job of this kind. It is general information rather than legal advice, and the council’s written HMO standards have the final detail.
- 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.
How much does student HMO refurbishment cost in Solihull?
| 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 | £4,000 – £9,000 | letting room |
| Communal HMO kitchen with extra cooking and sink capacity (our estimate from domestic ranges) | £8,000 – £18,000 | £8,000 – £18,000 | kitchen |
| Shared bathroom refit | £5,500 – £9,000 | £5,500 – £9,000 | bathroom |
| Interlinked mains alarm system (Grade D type), small HMO (our estimate from installer guides) | £800 – £2,000 | £800 – £2,000 | house |
| Full rewire, 4–5 bedroom house | £6,000 – £12,000 | £6,000 – £12,000 | house |
Use these as a starting point for budgeting. Access, condition and the council’s requirements in Solihull can move the figure either way, which is why we quote after seeing the house.
How long does it take?
Allow 2–8 weeks over summer 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 Solihull landlords need it?
Typical reasons for this work in Solihull:
- Houses that need to compete with purpose-built student blocks
- Houses let to students on yearly tenancies
Questions about student HMO refurbishment in Solihull
What finishes last best in student houses?
Commercial-grade vinyl or laminate, quartz-effect laminate worktops, wipe-clean paint and good extraction to keep condensation down.
Which postcodes in Solihull do you work in?
All of them, including B26, B27 and B28, and the surrounding parts of West Midlands.
Does a shared house in Solihull 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 Solihull?
Our guide ranges for West Midlands 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 Solihull
- Shirley · 2 mi
- Acocks Green · 3 mi
- Washwood Heath · 6 mi
- Birmingham · 7 mi
- Aston · 7 mi
- Bartley Green · 9 mi
- All of West Midlands
Other HMO services in Solihull
- Void and between-tenancy refurbs in Solihull
- Communal kitchen refits in Solihull
- Ensuite installation in Solihull
- HMO fire safety upgrades in Solihull
- Bedroom upgrades and room refits in Solihull
- Full HMO refurbishment in Solihull
- House to HMO conversion in Solihull
- Shared bathroom and shower room refits in Solihull