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Lewisham, London

HMO conversion drawings in Lewisham

Every house in Lewisham now sits under an HMO Article 4 direction, so a landlord who wants to let by the room needs planning permission before the first tenant moves in. Our HMO conversion drawings in Lewisham start from £879 and give the planning officer a measured, room-by-room case.

From £679 drawings + £200 survey (£879 total), 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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    Two directions, one borough

    Lewisham made its HMO control in two steps. The Southern Wards (on the old ward boundaries) were covered first, and the remainder followed later. The council's page puts the whole-borough position as whole borough from 19 January 2024, and says the permitted development right to change a dwelling to a small HMO no longer applies.

    The council defines a small HMO as three to six unrelated people sharing basic amenities such as a kitchen or bathroom. Anything larger already needed an application, so the direction closes the gap between the two.

    The practical effect for an investor is timing. A deal that assumed a quick permitted conversion now needs a planning period in the programme, and it is better to know that at offer stage than after exchange.

    Pencil resting on a dimensioned technical drawing beside a scale rule

    Local figures for Lewisham

    Figures with their unit, period and source
    MeasureValuePeriodSource
    Two Article 4 directions cover the whole borough: the Southern Wards (old ward boundaries) since 7 March 2020, and the remainder of the borough since 19 January 2024. Permitted development rights to change a dwelling (C3) to a small HMO (C4) do not apply, so planning permission is required.whole borough from 19 January 2024—lewisham.gov.uk, Council page: Article 4 direction on small HMOs, direction summary
    Lewisham's Additional Licensing scheme came into force on 5 April 2022 and covers houses where three or four people who are not one household share facilities, and purpose-built flat blocks where three or more unrelated people share. Licences are usually valid for five years.since 5 April 2022—lewisham.gov.uk, Council page: Which HMOs need a licence, Additional licensing
    Minor application decisions534 decisions1 July 2025 - 30 June 2026assets.publishing.service.gov.uk
    Minor applications granted83.7 %1 July 2025 - 30 June 2026assets.publishing.service.gov.uk
    Minor applications decided in time94.8 % decided within 8 weeks or an agreed extended period1 July 2025 - 30 June 2026assets.publishing.service.gov.uk
    Households living in a house42.2 % of households living in a house or bungalow (detached, semi-detached or terraced)Census 2021nomisweb.co.uk
    Conservation areas30 named conservation areas published by the council—planning.data.gov.uk
    Borough CIL residential rate£154.44/m² (Zone 1, Use Class C3); £108.1/m² (Zone 2, Use Class C3)indexed rate 1 Jan to 31 Dec 2026lewisham.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 Lewisham
    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 licence is a second layer

    Lewisham's Additional Licensing scheme has run since 5 April 2022. It reaches houses where three or four people who are not one household share facilities, and flat blocks where three or more unrelated people share. Licences are usually valid for five years unless the council gives a shorter term.

    We design the plan so that the room sizes and facilities in the planning set are the same ones the licence will be judged on. Our HMO licence application pack uses those sheets directly, which avoids drawing the house twice.

    Mandatory licensing applies on top at five or more people sharing, so a six-bed scheme sits in the national scheme as well.

    What the planning set must show

    The application needs the existing and proposed layouts, a schedule of room areas, the position of shared kitchens and bathrooms and the escape route. Where the property has a rear extension from a previous owner, we confirm from the planning history that it was lawful, because an unlawful extension counted into your bedroom area is a quick way to a refusal.

    Lewisham has a large stock of family houses, and the Article 4 direction lets the council weigh each conversion on its merits. Measured drawings let you answer that on facts, with the number of bedrooms, the garden left over and the bin store shown.

    To gain a bedroom without moving walls, many landlords look at the roof. See loft conversion drawings in Lewisham for how that works with a shared layout.

    The council's record on small schemes

    A shared house is decided as a minor application. Lewisham decided 534 minor applications in its latest published year, granted 83.7 per cent and decided 94.8 per cent in time. Those cover all minor schemes, so read them as general pace.

    42.2 per cent of households live in a house, and the borough has 30 conservation areas, so a good share of candidate properties are family houses on streets with some form of heritage control.

    Levy and the alternatives

    The borough levy is £154.44/m² (Zone 1, Use Class C3); £108.1/m² (Zone 2, Use Class C3). A change of use with no new floor area may fall outside it, though an extension can bring it in.

    If separate flats suit the house better, compare flat conversion drawings in Lewisham. Next door, Southwark has its own HMO rules, and the borough overview is architectural drawings in Lewisham.

    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.
    Rear view of brick terraced houses in London with slate roofs and chimney stacks along the shared roofline
    Unit by unit
    Move up and down — the nearest units slide out.

    Other services in Lewisham

    HMO conversion drawings nearby

    Questions

    Does Lewisham need planning permission for a small HMO?

    Yes. The council's page puts the whole-borough position as whole borough from 19 January 2024, so the permitted development right no longer applies.

    When did Lewisham's additional licensing start?

    The scheme has run since 5 April 2022, covering smaller HMOs the national scheme does not catch.

    How many minor applications does Lewisham grant?

    83.7 per cent of 534 decisions in the latest published year.

    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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