End-to-end compliance support for Houses in Multiple Occupation — from converting a family home (Use Class C3) into a small shared HMO (Class C4), through Article 4 planning and licensing, to the enhanced fire safety standards, amenity standards and Management Regulations that apply once tenants are in. Requirements below reflect the general position in England; every council sets its own amenity standards, so we check the specific authority before you commit to a layout.
What's included
- C3 to C4 conversion feasibility reviews — before you buy or before you build
- Article 4 Direction checks and full planning applications for change of use
- HMO Licensing support — mandatory, additional and selective licence applications & renewals
- Enhanced Fire Risk Assessments benchmarked against BS 9792:2025 — FD30S doors, LD2/LD1 interlinked alarms, emergency lighting and protected escape routes
- Room sizes & amenity standards checks against licence conditions
- Management of Houses in Multiple Occupation (England) Regulations 2006 compliance
- Environmental Impact & Amenity Reports to support a change-of-use application
In detail
Fire safety — the non-negotiables
Councils and fire authorities benchmark housing fire risk assessments against BS 9792:2025, which superseded the old LACoRS guidance. The exact package is set by the risk assessment, but a small shared house typically needs:
- FD30S fire doors to every bedroom and the kitchen, with intumescent strips, cold-smoke seals and self-closers
- Interlinked, mains-powered detection — typically Grade D LD2: hall smoke alarm, landing smoke alarm and kitchen heat alarm
- A protected escape route: FD30 doors onto the stairs and hallway, no combustible storage, thumb-turn lock on the final exit
- Emergency lighting where the escape route is long, internal or unlit
- Kitchen precautions — fire blanket, heat detector (never a smoke alarm) and mechanical extraction
- A written Fire Risk Assessment under the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005, reviewed annually
Amenity standards — space, kitchen and bathrooms
The national minimum room sizes in the Housing Act 2004 are a floor, not a target — many councils require more through their own HMO standards or SPD.
- 6.51 m² for one person over 10, 10.22 m² for two people over 10, 4.64 m² for a child under 10 — floor area under 1.5 m in height does not count
- Kitchen for 3–5 sharers: four-ring hob and oven, sink with drainer, adequate worktop, fridge/freezer capacity and a food cupboard per occupant
- Mechanical extraction to kitchens and bathrooms
- Commonly one bathroom with WC per up to four or five occupants (or a bathroom plus separate WC) — ratios vary by council
Management, waste and certificates
The Management of Houses in Multiple Occupation (England) Regulations 2006 place continuing duties on the manager once tenants are in.
- Tenancy and property management plan — anti-social behaviour policy, planned maintenance and 24-hour emergency contact displayed in the property
- Waste and recycling plan with adequate bin capacity and a designated, screened storage point
- EICR every five years, annual Gas Safety Record (CP12) where there is gas, and PAT testing of landlord-supplied appliances
- Fire Risk Assessment plus alarm and emergency-lighting test records
- Legionella risk assessment and a valid EPC
Planning — Article 4 and the C3 to C4 question
Nationally, converting a dwellinghouse (C3) to a small HMO for 3–6 sharers (C4) is permitted development. That right is removed wherever the council has made an Article 4 Direction — and then you need full planning permission for the change of use even if the building is left exactly as it is. Seven or more sharers is sui generis and always needs permission.
- Land charges and Article 4 checks before purchase or before works start
- Concentration analysis — how many existing HMOs sit within the policy radius
- Planning history of the property and immediate neighbours
- Amenity impact — noise, parking pressure, bin storage and overlooking
- Anti-social behaviour record in the street
- The proposed standard of accommodation, measured against the council's HMO policy
A licensable, safe HMO with documentation that satisfies the local authority and protects tenants.