Student HMO refurbishment across West Sussex

In short: 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 West Sussex we survey first, price each item separately and hand over the certificates and photos a council asks for.

Nation: England
Pricing region: South East
Postcode areas: RH, PO, BN, GU
Main towns: Crawley, Worthing, Bognor Regis, Littlehampton, Horsham

What does student HMO refurbishment in West Sussex involve?

Fire safety checks and upgrades
Extra bathroom or ensuites
Broadband and electrics upgrades
Hard-wearing kitchens and worktops
Study space and sockets in every room
Photo handover before move-in

Which rules apply in West Sussex?

Licences last up to 5 years and carry conditions on gas and electrical safety, alarms, room sizes and waste.
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.
Under the Renters’ Rights Act, civil penalties reach £40,000 for offences such as running an unlicensed HMO.

Councils in England can add additional licensing and Article 4 directions on top of the national rules. Check the council’s website for the exact address before you buy or start work.

How much does student HMO refurbishment cost in West Sussex?

Regional adjustment for South East. Planning budgets: see our prices page.
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

Typical time on site: 2–8 weeks over summer. For a figure for your house, try the guide-price tool.

Student HMO refurbishment by town in West Sussex

Questions about student HMO refurbishment in West Sussex

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.

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.

Do you carry out student HMO refurbishment across West Sussex?

Yes, across the whole of West Sussex, including Crawley, Worthing, Bognor Regis.

Who licenses HMOs in West Sussex?

HMOs in West Sussex are licensed by the local council for the address. Where an area has several councils, each runs its own licensing and planning policies.