HMO Conversions Catford

HMO conversion in Catford is tightly controlled, and a landlord should know that before buying. Lewisham has removed the permitted development right to turn a house into a small HMO across the whole borough, and its policy supports a small HMO only where the original house has at least 130 square metres of floorspace. Houses are 34% of Catford's homes, and only the larger of them pass that test. Where a scheme has consent, or an existing HMO needs upgrading to its licence, we build the rooms, kitchens, bathrooms and fire protection to Lewisham's standards.

In Catford, a light HMO conversion for four to six tenants typically costs £40,000 to £75,000 in construction, or £90,000 to £150,000 with an en-suite to every bedroom (indicative London ranges, Mayfair Studio and LetCompliance, 2026). GS Renovation Ltd, a building contractor based in Potters Bar, does the work in Catford: we build the fire doors, detection, bathrooms and kitchens to the council's HMO standards, the landlord applies for the licence, and a registered electrician certifies the electrics.

HMO rules in Catford under Lewisham's Article 4 Directions

Turning a Catford house into a small HMO needs planning permission, because the right to change a dwelling house (C3) to an HMO (C4) does not apply anywhere in Lewisham. The first Article 4 Direction has covered the Southern Wards (old ward boundaries) since 7 March 2020, and a second covering the rest of the borough came into force on 19 January 2024. So the Class L permitted development route is closed here, and the owner needs consent before the house is let as an HMO.

Policy HO8 adds a size test: in an Article 4 area a small HMO is supported only where the original dwelling has a gross internal floorspace of 130 square metres or more. Lewisham also says rear or roof extensions cannot be used to reach that figure. For a smaller Catford terrace that rules out a small HMO under this policy, which leaves self-contained flats, subject to HO2, or keeping the house whole, before anyone draws a plan.

Housing in Catford

Take the 7,650 or so homes the valuation list gives Catford: 66% flats, 34% houses, 61% from before 1919, 4% interwar and 33% post-war.

Which licence a Catford shared house needs

Every HMO in Catford needs a licence under one of two schemes, and the landlord applies before letting. GOV.UK defines a large HMO as one rented to 5 or more people forming more than 1 household, and that is the national mandatory scheme. Lewisham's Additional HMO licensing scheme came into force on Tuesday 5 April 2022 and covers HMOs the mandatory scheme misses, including three or four sharers from different households using a shared kitchen, toilet or bathroom.

So a Catford house shared by three unrelated people needs a licence just as a larger one does, and GOV.UK warns that renting out an unlicensed HMO can lead to an unlimited fine. The licence sets the number of occupants, and that number drives the building work: room sizes, bathrooms, kitchen size and fire precautions. We build to the occupancy the landlord is applying for, and give the landlord the certificates and records the application asks for.

Room sizes and amenities in a Catford HMO

Lewisham's licensing standards fix the minimum size of every room in a Catford HMO, so the layout is set out to them. A single bedroom must be at least 6.51m2 in shared houses with separate kitchen, bathroom and living space, and a double bedroom at least 10.22m2. Under the national licence conditions, floor under a low sloping ceiling does not count, so an attic room in a Catford terrace can look generous and still fail.

Amenities follow the head count. Lewisham asks for at least one fixed bath or shower for every five occupants, and a shared kitchen of at least 6.51m2 for up to five people or 11m2 for up to ten. In a Catford period terrace that can mean a second shower room on the first floor and a kitchen enlarged into the old dining room. We plan the drainage and the kitchen services around the licence numbers before the rooms are divided.

Fire safety, sound and energy in a Catford HMO

Fire safety is the heart of an HMO build in Catford, because several households sleep behind closed doors on one escape route. The LACORS housing fire safety guidance is the recognised reference, and building regulations Part B apply where the work is building work. In a shared terrace that means fire doors with self-closers to every bedroom and the kitchen, an interlinked detection and alarm system and a protected stair. Fire stopping goes round every service that passes through a floor.

Sound and energy come next. Bedrooms that back onto each other need insulated partitions so tenants do not hear every call. Lewisham's HMO standards expect a licensed HMO to have an EPC rating of E or better unless an exemption applies. A Catford conversion is the moment to insulate the roof and floors, upgrade heating controls and draught proof the sashes, while walls and ceilings are open. We record the upgrades so the assessor can rate them.

• Hot water sized for several sharers showering at once, with any gas work by a Gas Safe registered engineer
• Small HMO conversions for three to six sharers
• Existing HMOs upgraded to meet their licence conditions

VOA Council Tax stock of properties, March 2025, for Catford East & Mountsfield Park and Catford Bridge. Counts rounded by the VOA.

Next steps that tend to follow hmo conversions in Catford: bathroom renovation in Catford, hmo conversions across Lewisham, how building control works in London, what a snagging list covers, how we handle hmo conversions across London and Getting Planning Permission.

The GS Renovation Difference in Catford

An HMO build succeeds when the licence, the layout and the fire strategy agree. We work from the occupancy the landlord is applying for, set out rooms to the licence sizes, and run strip out, fire protection, services, kitchens, bathrooms and decoration as one sequence with our own trades. A registered electrician certifies the wiring and alarms, and a registered gas engineer handles gas work. You get a written quotation after a survey, a written programme and one named point of contact.

• Straight advice on what is and is not worth spending money on
• Article 4 and licence position checked before a room is priced
• Sound lining between bedrooms so one sharer does not keep another awake

Reviewed jobs near Catford

1 MyBuilder review from Crofton Park, with each customer's own job title:

• Replace small section of wooden worktop, sink, tap and gas hob, Crofton Park, 17 Apr 2024 (5 out of 5)

Read all 31 on our reviews page.

Checked by Abdelaaziz Saaid, founder and director of GS Renovation Ltd (Companies House no. 14611254).