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Harrow, London

HMO conversion drawings in Harrow

Until recently a landlord in Harrow could turn a family house into a shared house of up to six people without a planning application. That changed with a new Article 4 direction. Our HMO conversion drawings in Harrow start from £879 and are drawn for the application the council now expects.

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

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  • £2m PI insured
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  • Fixed fees, no VAT to add

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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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    What changed and when

    The council's own announcement explains that, up to now, smaller HMOs of three to six unrelated people did not need planning permission and were allowed automatically under permitted development. Cabinet then approved a new Article 4 direction, and the position is recorded as from 12 June 2026.

    The council ties the change to its new Local Plan and to residents' concerns about noise, rubbish, anti-social behaviour and the loss of family-sized homes. Those four themes are what an officer will look for in your application, so the drawings and statement should answer them.

    If you are mid-purchase, check the date against your timetable. A scheme that relied on the permitted route may now need a full application first.

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

    Local figures for Harrow

    Figures with their unit, period and source
    MeasureValuePeriodSource
    Harrow's Cabinet approved a new Article 4 direction on 11 June 2026 and planning permission is needed for all HMOs from 12 June 2026. Before that, smaller HMOs of three to six unrelated people were permitted development.from 12 June 2026—harrow.gov.uk, Council news item: New planning rules come into force for smaller HMOs, article text
    Planning permission is needed if you applied for a new HMO licence on or after 12 June 2026 for a property of up to six people; it is not needed to renew an existing licence for up to six people. Where permission is required but not yet granted, the council may grant a licence for a shorter period, including up to one year.licence of up to one year without consent—harrow.gov.uk, Council page: HMO licence, planning permission requirements, planning permission requirements
    The previous Additional HMO Licensing Scheme ended on 5 August 2026. A new Additional scheme for properties of three or four people in two or more households is scheduled to come into effect on 6 January 2027, and applications can be made in advance.new scheme scheduled for 6 January 2027—harrow.gov.uk, Council page: HMO licence, additional licensing paragraph
    Households living in a house65.4 % of households living in a house or bungalow (detached, semi-detached or terraced)Census 2021nomisweb.co.uk
    Green Belt share of the council area22 % of council area covered by green-belt polygons—planning.data.gov.uk
    Minor application decisions341 decisions1 July 2025 - 30 June 2026assets.publishing.service.gov.uk
    Minor applications granted60.4 %1 July 2025 - 30 June 2026assets.publishing.service.gov.uk
    Minor applications decided in time85.6 % decided within 8 weeks or an agreed extended period1 July 2025 - 30 June 2026assets.publishing.service.gov.uk
    Conservation areas31 named conservation areas published by the council—planning.data.gov.uk
    Mayoral CIL charging band2 MCIL2 charging band (1-3)—london.gov.uk
    Borough CIL residential rate£196.43/m² (Residential, Use Class C3, borough-wide)2026 indexed rate; schedule rate £110/m² (index 224 to 400)harrow.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 Harrow
    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

    How the licence team applies the new rule

    The licensing page sets out who needs planning permission. You need it if you applied for a new HMO licence on or after the start date for a property of up to six people, and for any HMO of more than six; you do not need it to renew an existing licence for up to six people. Where permission is required but not yet granted, the council may issue a licence for a shorter period, and the page describes this as a licence of up to one year without consent.

    The licensing side is also in transition. The previous additional scheme has ended, and the council's page says the replacement is new scheme scheduled for 6 January 2027, with applications accepted in advance. Properties of five or more people stay under mandatory licensing.

    So the order for a new HMO is planning first, then licence. Our HMO licence application pack picks up from the approved drawings.

    Drawings that answer the officer's concerns

    A Harrow application needs measured existing and proposed plans, a room schedule and the shared facilities. Because the council's stated worries are amenity worries, we also show the refuse and cycle stores, the garden left for residents and the parking position.

    Harrow has 65.4 per cent of households in houses, so most schemes begin as suburban semis and terraces, where an extra bedroom often means the loft or the rear. See loft conversion drawings in Harrow and rear extension drawings in Harrow for how those are drawn. Green Belt covers 22 per cent of the borough.

    The council's record

    A new HMO is decided as a minor application. Harrow decided 341 minor applications in its latest published year and granted 60.4 per cent, with 85.6 per cent decided in time. The grant figure covers all minor schemes, but it is a reminder to submit a complete case first time.

    The borough has 31 conservation areas, which can limit external changes made to gain rooms.

    Levy and the alternatives

    Harrow's levy is £196.43/m² (Residential, Use Class C3, borough-wide), with the Mayoral levy in band 2. A conversion with no new floor area may fall outside it.

    For self-contained flats instead of letting by the room, compare flat conversion drawings in Harrow. Nearby, Brent and Hillingdon have longer-standing HMO controls. The borough overview is architectural drawings in Harrow.

    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 Harrow

    HMO conversion drawings nearby

    Questions

    Do I now need planning permission for a small HMO in Harrow?

    Yes. The council's new Article 4 direction is recorded as from 12 June 2026, ending the permitted route for three to six people.

    What if I licence a Harrow HMO before getting consent?

    The council may issue a shorter licence: licence of up to one year without consent.

    When does Harrow's new additional licensing scheme start?

    The council's page says new scheme scheduled for 6 January 2027.

    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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