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Merton, London

HMO conversion drawings in Merton

Merton has spent four years extending its HMO planning control ward by ward, and it now reaches the whole borough. Our HMO conversion drawings in Merton start from £879, and the first check we run is which of the council's two directions your address sits under.

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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    Two directions, one borough

    The council's Article 4 page now states that permitted development rights for converting a home to a small HMO have been removed across the whole borough, and records the position as whole borough; 13 wards from 24 March 2026. The seven eastern wards were made permanent after a confirmation vote in the spring of the following year; the other thirteen wards were covered by an immediate direction.

    An immediate direction is temporary until confirmed. The council's newsroom reported that Cabinet recommended making the thirteen-ward rules permanent after a consultation in which most respondents were in favour, and the record reads: Cabinet recommended permanence, full Council 16 September 2026. The council page we read does not yet show the outcome, so we check the live position again at the start of every job.

    The rules apply to new HMO conversions only. Existing HMOs are not affected, so evidence of use before the relevant date is valuable if you are buying a shared house.

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

    Local figures for Merton

    Figures with their unit, period and source
    MeasureValuePeriodSource
    The council states that permitted development rights for converting a home (C3) to a small HMO (C4) have been removed across the whole borough, so converting a home to an HMO of any size anywhere in Merton requires planning permission. The seven east wards have been permanent since 19 April 2023; the other 13 wards have been covered by an immediate direction since 24 March 2026.whole borough; 13 wards from 24 March 2026—merton.gov.uk, Council page: Article 4 directions, immediate Article 4 direction for small HMOs
    Cabinet approved a recommendation to make the 13-ward rules permanent after a consultation in which 82% of 50 responses supported it; the decision went to full Council on 16 September 2026 for final confirmation. The rules apply only to new HMO conversions, not existing HMOs.Cabinet recommended permanence, full Council 16 September 2026—news.merton.gov.uk, Council newsroom, 15 July 2026, article text
    Mandatory HMO licensing applies across all wards to HMOs of five or more occupants from two or more households; in 2022 the council introduced HMO planning controls and landlord licensing together in the seven eastern wards.mandatory borough-wide; extra licensing in seven east wards from 2022—merton.gov.uk, Council page: Consultations on new HMO planning controls, 2022-23 consultation summary
    Households living in a house60.4 % of households living in a house or bungalow (detached, semi-detached or terraced)Census 2021nomisweb.co.uk
    Conservation areas28 named conservation areas published by the council—planning.data.gov.uk
    Minor application decisions206 decisions1 July 2025 - 30 June 2026assets.publishing.service.gov.uk
    Minor applications granted82.5 %1 July 2025 - 30 June 2026assets.publishing.service.gov.uk
    Minor applications decided in time82 % decided within 8 weeks or an agreed extended period1 July 2025 - 30 June 2026assets.publishing.service.gov.uk
    Mayoral CIL charging band2 MCIL2 charging band (1-3)—london.gov.uk
    Borough CIL residential rate£368.20/m² (Colliers Wood, Raynes Park and Wimbledon); £192.47/m² (Mitcham, Morden and West Barnes)effective rate for permissions granted in 2026merton.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 Merton
    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 differs by area

    On licensing, the council's consultation summary records that mandatory borough-wide; extra licensing in seven east wards from 2022. In the eastern wards, landlords therefore face both planning control and wider licensing.

    Elsewhere a small HMO sits outside mandatory licensing but inside the planning net. Either way, our drawings carry the room areas and facilities that both teams read, and our HMO licence application pack reuses them.

    What the application needs to show

    The council says it wants to check whether homes are well designed, with enough space and facilities for those living there. We answer that directly with a room schedule, measured plans and a short statement on the standard of accommodation.

    Merton has 60.4 per cent of households in houses and 28 conservation areas, particularly around Wimbledon. See loft conversion drawings in Merton and rear extension drawings in Merton if the shell must grow.

    The council's record

    A new HMO is a minor application. Merton decided 206 minor applications in the latest published year, granted 82.5 per cent and decided 82 per cent in time.

    Levy and the alternatives

    The levy is zoned, beginning £368.20/m² (Colliers Wood, Raynes Park and Wimbledon); £192.47/m² (Mitcham, Morden and West Barnes), and the Mayoral levy is in band 2. A conversion without new floor area may be outside it.

    For flats instead, compare flat conversion drawings in Merton. The overview page is architectural drawings in Merton; nearby, Sutton and Lambeth have their own 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.
    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 Merton

    HMO conversion drawings nearby

    Questions

    Does every ward in Merton now need planning permission for an HMO?

    The council states that conversion to an HMO needs permission anywhere in the borough; its record reads whole borough; 13 wards from 24 March 2026.

    Is the thirteen-ward rule permanent?

    The council's newsroom records: Cabinet recommended permanence, full Council 16 September 2026. We re-check the outcome before each job.

    Does Merton require HMO licences everywhere?

    mandatory borough-wide; extra licensing in seven east wards from 2022.

    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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