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Hackney, London

HMO conversion drawings in Hackney

Hackney's Article 4 list has no HMO direction, yet landlords here still need a licence for a shared house. Our HMO conversion drawings in Hackney start from £879 and are built around what the council actually asks for, not what a neighbouring borough does.

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

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  • £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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    No HMO direction, but read the list properly

    The council publishes its Article 4 directions on one page. They cover Class E and storage buildings turning into homes, launderettes, a pub and several conservation areas. In the council's own words the finding is no HMO Article 4 direction listed, so the right to change a house to a small HMO has not been withdrawn borough-wide.

    Nationally the position is: C3 to C4 is permitted development unless an Article 4 direction removes it. In Hackney that means a three-to-six-person shared house can often proceed without a planning application. It is not a blanket permission, because a planning condition on an earlier consent, a listed building or a flat rather than a house can all change the answer.

    We check the planning history of the address first. A short written note of the lawful use today is worth having on file, and where the position is unclear a lawful development certificate gives certainty before you spend on a refit.

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

    Local figures for Hackney

    Figures with their unit, period and source
    MeasureValuePeriodSource
    Hackney's Article 4 directions page lists directions for Class E, storage and distribution, launderette, pub and conservation-area changes; none removes the C3 to C4 right, so a small HMO is not caught by a Hackney HMO Article 4 direction.no HMO Article 4 direction listed—hackney.gov.uk, Council page: Article 4 directions, list of directions
    The council processes selective and additional HMO licence applications from 1 May 2026. The additional HMO fee is paid in two parts: 840 pounds on application (Part A) and 560 pounds after approval (Part B), 1,400 pounds in all.from 1 May 2026—hackney.gov.uk, Council page: Apply for a property licence, fees section
    GPDO Sch 2 Pt 3 Class LC3 to C4 is permitted development unless an Article 4 direction removes it—legislation.gov.uk
    Minor application decisions689 decisions1 July 2025 - 30 June 2026assets.publishing.service.gov.uk
    Minor applications granted81.6 %1 July 2025 - 30 June 2026assets.publishing.service.gov.uk
    Minor applications decided in time87.4 % decided within 8 weeks or an agreed extended period1 July 2025 - 30 June 2026assets.publishing.service.gov.uk
    Conservation areas37 named conservation areas published by the council—planning.data.gov.uk
    Article 4 directions77 Article 4 directions published by the council—planning.data.gov.uk
    Borough CIL residential rate£190/m² (Zone A); £25/m² (Zone B); £55/m² (Zone C); £0/m² (Zone D)schedule rate (approved 25 February 2015, effective 1 April 2015)drive.google.com

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

    Councils bordering Hackney
    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

    Licensing is where the cost sits

    The council processes selective and additional HMO licence applications from 1 May 2026. The additional fee is taken in two parts, one on application and one after approval, so the cash is committed before the licence is in your hand.

    A licence is judged on the plan, so the layout has to be right first time. We draw each bedroom with its measured area, the shared kitchen and bathrooms, and the fire escape, and we keep the same sheets ready for the licence pack. Our HMO licence application pack takes it from there.

    Planning and licensing stay separate: a licence is not a planning permission, so a landlord relying on permitted development should document that route.

    Hackney houses and what they allow

    Much of Hackney is Georgian and Victorian terrace with generous room heights but awkward stairs. A common design is a ground-floor shared kitchen opening to the garden, with bedrooms above. We test whether a second shared kitchen or bathroom is needed as numbers rise.

    If rooms are being gained by building out, the rear is the usual place. Our rear extension drawings in Hackney cover that route, and the council's conservation areas, 37 of them, are where it is most restricted.

    How Hackney decides minor schemes

    Where an application is needed, a shared house is a minor scheme. Hackney decided 689 minor applications in the latest published year, granted 81.6 per cent and decided 87.4 per cent in time.

    Hackney also publishes 77 Article 4 directions in total on the national data platform, mostly for other purposes. The count is a reminder to check your own street, not a sign that HMOs are restricted.

    Levy and comparing options

    The borough levy is charged by zone: £190/m² (Zone A); £25/m² (Zone B); £55/m² (Zone C); £0/m² (Zone D). A conversion without new floor area may be outside it, but a new extension may not be.

    If self-contained flats look stronger on yield, compare flat conversion drawings in Hackney. For the borough overview, see architectural drawings in Hackney.

    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.
    Upper floors of a large yellow-brick Victorian house in London with chimney pots
    Unit by unit
    Move up and down — the nearest units slide out.

    Other services in Hackney

    HMO conversion drawings nearby

    Questions

    Does Hackney have an HMO Article 4 direction?

    The council's list of directions shows no HMO Article 4 direction listed. The change from a house to a small HMO is therefore not caught by a Hackney HMO direction.

    When did Hackney start processing the new HMO licences?

    The council processes additional HMO applications from 1 May 2026.

    How long does Hackney take on minor applications?

    87.4 per cent of 689 minor decisions were made in time in the latest published year.

    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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