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

Havering, London

HMO conversion drawings in Havering

Havering is mid-way through tightening its HMO rules: a direction already covers four wards, and the council has just consulted on extending it across the whole borough. Our HMO conversion drawings in Havering start from £879, and we start by reading where your address falls today and where it may fall next year.

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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    Where the direction applies now

    The existing Article 4 direction, the first of two notices, covers the Brooklands, Romford Town, Heaton and Gooshays wards. The notice records it as four wards from 13 July 2016, and in those wards the permitted development right to change a dwellinghouse to an HMO does not apply.

    Outside those wards the position depends on the house. The council's own news item says that in parts of the borough some detached homes can still be converted to HMOs without planning permission. That is why we check the house type as well as the ward.

    A buyer should therefore not treat Havering as one rule. Two streets apart can mean permission needed or not.

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

    Local figures for Havering

    Figures with their unit, period and source
    MeasureValuePeriodSource
    Article 4 direction Notice 1 came into force on 13 July 2016 for the Brooklands, Romford Town, Heaton and Gooshays wards: the permitted development right to change a dwellinghouse to an HMO (Class L(b)) does not apply there.four wards from 13 July 2016—havering.gov.uk, Article 4 Direction Notice 1, paragraphs 1 and 2
    The council consulted until 16 October 2026 on a proposed borough-wide Article 4 direction for all new HMOs, because in parts of the borough some detached homes can still be converted without planning permission; if confirmed, it would take effect one year after the direction is made.borough-wide proposal, consultation ended 16 October 2026—havering.gov.uk, Council news item: New proposed planning rules for HMOs in Havering, article text
    The licensing designation areas agreed at the 10 December 2025 Cabinet are in effect from 18 March 2026 until 17 March 2031.18 March 2026 to 17 March 2031—havering.gov.uk, Council page: Apply for a property licence, scheme designation notes
    The council issues a one-year licence for any HMO application submitted without planning consent already approved for the change of use from a single household dwelling to an HMO, or from a small HMO to a larger one; the fee is not refunded if planning permission is refused.one-year licence without consent—havering.gov.uk, Council page: Apply for a property licence, planning note
    Households living in a house76.7 % of households living in a house or bungalow (detached, semi-detached or terraced)Census 2021nomisweb.co.uk
    Green Belt share of the council area53 % of council area covered by green-belt polygons—planning.data.gov.uk
    Minor application decisions306 decisions1 July 2025 - 30 June 2026assets.publishing.service.gov.uk
    Minor applications granted64.4 %1 July 2025 - 30 June 2026assets.publishing.service.gov.uk
    Minor applications decided in time96.4 % decided within 8 weeks or an agreed extended period1 July 2025 - 30 June 2026assets.publishing.service.gov.uk
    Conservation areas11 named conservation areas published by the council—planning.data.gov.uk
    Mayoral CIL charging band3 MCIL2 charging band (1-3)—london.gov.uk
    Borough CIL residential rate£151.52/m² (Zone A, North of A1306); £66.67/m² (Zone B, South of A1306)2026 indexed rate (permissions granted 1 Jan–31 Dec 2026); schedule rates £125 / £55havering.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 Havering
    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

    The borough-wide proposal

    The council has proposed an Article 4 direction for all new HMOs across the borough, to make the rules consistent for every type of home. The record reads: borough-wide proposal, consultation ended 16 October 2026. If confirmed, it would take effect one year after the direction is made.

    That delay matters to an investor, because the date a scheme starts decides which rule applies. We advise on which side of the line a scheme falls, and we do not guess at the council's decision.

    Where permission is needed, the council says it would weigh the quality of the accommodation, the need for family homes, overconcentration, anti-social behaviour and parking. We design for each.

    Licensing and the one-year licence

    The licensing schemes agreed by Cabinet are in effect 18 March 2026 to 17 March 2031. Selective and additional licence fees are split into two payments and usually valid for five years.

    The council also states that it has introduced a licence of one year for any HMO application submitted without planning consent already approved. The page records it as a one-year licence without consent, and the fee is not refunded if planning permission is refused. Getting consent first avoids both.

    The same measured drawings serve both applications. Our HMO licence application pack takes the approved layout directly.

    Drawing for a suburban borough

    Havering has 76.7 per cent of households in houses, and Green Belt covers 53 per cent of the borough, so most conversions are suburban houses with gardens. We show the garden, the parking and the refuse stores, because the council lists parking and local impact among its tests.

    If you need extra bedrooms, see loft conversion drawings in Havering and rear extension drawings in Havering. On the Green Belt edge extensions face tighter limits.

    The council's record and the levy

    Havering decided 306 minor applications in the latest published year, granted 64.4 per cent and decided 96.4 per cent in time. It has 11 conservation areas.

    The levy is zoned: £151.52/m² (Zone A, North of A1306); £66.67/m² (Zone B, South of A1306). The Mayoral levy is in band 3. For flats instead, see flat conversion drawings in Havering; next door, Redbridge has its own HMO rules.

    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 Havering

    HMO conversion drawings nearby

    Questions

    Is there an HMO Article 4 direction in Havering?

    Yes, for four wards: four wards from 13 July 2016. A borough-wide direction has been proposed.

    What is the proposed borough-wide rule in Havering?

    The council's record reads: borough-wide proposal, consultation ended 16 October 2026. If confirmed it would apply to all new HMOs one year after being made.

    What happens if I apply for a Havering HMO licence without consent?

    The council issues a one-year licence without consent.

    Sources and dates

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    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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