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Rear view of brick terraced houses in London with slate roofs and chimney stacks along the shared roofline

Croydon, London

HMO conversion drawings in Croydon

Croydon looks at an HMO's planning status when it decides the licence. Our HMO conversion drawings in Croydon start from £879, so that the consent comes first and the licence is not shortened by a missing permission.

From £679 drawings + £200 survey (£879 total), no VAT to add

  • MCIAT chartered
  • £2m PI insured
  • LABC Partnered
  • Fixed fees, no VAT to add

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We use it to check conservation areas and constraints.
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    Architectural model of a four-storey London stucco townhouse in its terrace, with a portico, area railings, sash windows, a cornice and chimney stacks
    The house as it stands: four storeys over a lower ground floor.Existing Proposed worksAn illustrative model, built for this page.

    How we work on hmo conversion drawings

    Seven steps from first call to approval.

    The same model cut through the middle: every floor, the stair, the chimney breasts, the new mansard, rear extension and basement in section
    Section through the model: every floor on one datum.

    1. Enquiry and constraints check

      We check the property against conservation areas, listed status, Article 4 directions, tree preservation orders, flood zone and planning history. We choose the right route and send a fixed quote.

    2. Measured survey

      We survey the house on one datum: rooms, levels, boundaries, drains, trees and the neighbours' windows that the 45° and 25° tests depend on.

    3. Design options

      We model the house in Revit and show you options in 3D and plan, with the planning strategy and the precedents in your street.

    4. Design frozen

      You choose an option in writing. Nothing changes after this without your say.

    5. Independent check

      A second chartered technologist checks every sheet against the council's validation checklist and the policy. A senior review signs it off before anything is submitted.

    6. Submission

      We prepare the forms, certificates, fee and documents and submit through the Planning Portal.

    7. Officer liaison

      We answer the planning officer and make any amendments within five working days, at no charge until approval.

    Free redraws until approval. Every drawing set is checked independently, and the checker is never the person who drew it.

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    A borough-wide direction

    Croydon's Article 4 direction is in place across the borough, and the council's wording is borough-wide from 28 January 2020: any HMO of three to six people created after the cut-off date, in Class C4, must have planning consent. HMOs of seven or more already needed it.

    The cut-off matters when you buy. A shared house that was running before the date may be lawful, but you will need evidence, such as tenancy records and council tax history. We help assemble it, and where it is thin a certificate of lawfulness can settle the point.

    For a house still in single-family use, the route is a full application with measured drawings and a room schedule.

    Upper floors of a large yellow-brick Victorian house in London with chimney pots

    Local figures for Croydon

    Figures with their unit, period and source
    MeasureValuePeriodSource
    A borough-wide Article 4 direction is in place: any HMO of 3 to 6 people created after 28 January 2020 (Class C4) must have planning consent. HMOs for 7 or more people already needed it.borough-wide from 28 January 2020—croydon.gov.uk, Council page: Planning permission and HMOs, Article 4 section
    The council takes planning status into account when deciding a licence and may grant a licence for a term reduced from the five-year maximum, commonly one year; licence fees are non-refundable even if planning consent is later refused.commonly a one-year licence without consent—croydon.gov.uk, Council page: Planning permission and HMOs, licensing and planning section
    HMOs of 3 or 4 people fall under the Additional HMO Licensing Scheme, which the council says came into force on 25 September 2026; mandatory licensing applies to HMOs of 5 or more people sharing facilities.Additional scheme from 25 September 2026—croydon.gov.uk, Council page: Which HMOs need to be licensed, 3 or 4 people section
    Households living in a house60.2 % of households living in a house or bungalow (detached, semi-detached or terraced)Census 2021nomisweb.co.uk
    Minor application decisions641 decisions1 July 2025 - 30 June 2026assets.publishing.service.gov.uk
    Minor applications granted57.6 %1 July 2025 - 30 June 2026assets.publishing.service.gov.uk
    Minor applications decided in time86.9 % decided within 8 weeks or an agreed extended period1 July 2025 - 30 June 2026assets.publishing.service.gov.uk
    Conservation areas19 named conservation areas published by the council—planning.data.gov.uk
    Mayoral CIL charging band3 MCIL2 charging band (1-3)—london.gov.uk

    A blank value means the figure has not been published, not that there are none. Check your own address with the council.

    Councils bordering Croydon
    Building regulations, layer by layerPart A: structure: Approved Document A: Structure, 2004 edition incorporating 2004, 2010 and 2013 amendments. Part B: fire safety: All dwellings: fire detection and alarm system minimum Grade D2 Category LD3 (BS 5839-6), mains-operated smoke alarms to BS EN 14604. Part L: insulation: New elements in existing dwellings, limiting U-values W/(m²·K): roof 0.15, wall 0.18, floor 0.18, windows 1.4 (or WER Band B), doors 1.4. Part K: stairs: 2.0 m clear headroom over stairs. Full plans application: Building control body must decide a full plans application within 5 weeks, or longer if agreed in writingPart A: structurePart B: fire safetyPart L: insulationPart K: stairsFull plans applicationABCDE

    Building regulations, layer by layer

    The Approved Documents that shape most house projects, from structure to the application itself.

    A · Part A: structure
    Approved Document A: Structure, 2004 edition incorporating 2004, 2010 and 2013 amendments
    B · Part B: fire safety
    All dwellings: fire detection and alarm system minimum Grade D2 Category LD3 (BS 5839-6), mains-operated smoke alarms to BS EN 14604
    C · Part L: insulation
    New elements in existing dwellings, limiting U-values W/(m²·K): roof 0.15, wall 0.18, floor 0.18, windows 1.4 (or WER Band B), doors 1.4
    D · Part K: stairs
    2.0 m clear headroom over stairs
    E · Full plans application
    Building control body must decide a full plans application within 5 weeks, or longer if agreed in writing

    What happens to the licence without consent

    The council's page is direct about the link. It takes planning status into account when it decides whether to refuse a licence, and where consent is missing it may issue a licence for a reduced term, which it describes as commonly a one-year licence without consent. The landlord must then fix the breach within that term.

    Licence fees are not refunded if consent is later refused. For an investor that is a real cost of getting the order wrong: licence fee paid, refit done and the use not allowed.

    So the sequence we recommend is survey, drawings, planning application, then licence. Our HMO licence application pack picks up from the approved layout.

    Licensing schemes in the borough

    The council says smaller shared houses of three or four people are subject to the Additional HMO Licensing Scheme, with the start given as Additional scheme from 25 September 2026. Mandatory licensing applies from five people who share facilities.

    Because the additional scheme is new, there is little track record on how strictly room sizes are applied. We draw to a margin, so a bedroom that is tight on paper is made safe rather than argued.

    What the officer sees in the drawings

    The set shows the building as it is and as it will be let, with each bedroom's measured area, the shared kitchen, the bathrooms, the escape route and the alarms. We add a plan of the garden and bin and cycle storage, as outdoor provision is part of how a shared house is judged.

    Croydon has a high share of houses, 60.2 per cent of households, so most schemes start from a family house. Where extra rooms are needed, see loft conversion drawings in Croydon and rear extension drawings in Croydon.

    How Croydon decides minor schemes

    A shared house is decided as a minor application. Croydon decided 641 minor applications in the latest published year and granted 57.6 per cent, with 86.9 per cent decided in time. The grant figure is lower than for householder cases, which is why the first submission has to be complete.

    The borough has 19 conservation areas and sits in Mayoral levy band 3. A conversion without new floor area may not be chargeable, but extensions can be.

    To compare with self-contained flats, see flat conversion drawings in Croydon, or the borough overview, architectural drawings in Croydon.

    What you receive

    Building regulations section drawing showing the construction build-up
    Sample drawing. Building regulations section showing construction build-up for a building control check.
    Red-brick mansion blocks and shopfronts on a street corner
    Unit by unit
    Move up and down — the nearest units slide out.

    Other services in Croydon

    HMO conversion drawings nearby

    Questions

    Do I need planning permission for a small HMO in Croydon?

    Yes, since the borough-wide direction: borough-wide from 28 January 2020.

    What if I licence an HMO without planning consent in Croydon?

    The council may grant a shorter licence: commonly a one-year licence without consent. Fees are not refunded if consent is later refused.

    When did the Additional HMO Licensing Scheme begin in Croydon?

    The council gives the start as Additional scheme from 25 September 2026.

    Sources and dates

    City of London skyline glowing at dusk across the Thames under a dramatic orange sky

    Tell us about your property.

    We check the constraints, then send a fixed fee. Messages before 3pm get a reply the same working day.

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