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Southwark, London

HMO conversion drawings in Southwark

Southwark treats an HMO as a design problem as much as a numbers one: shared space, refuse and bicycles all count. HMO conversion drawings in Southwark from £995 including VAT show each of them, drawn and checked by MCIAT chartered architectural technologists.

From £995 (VAT included)

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  • £2m PI insured
  • LABC Partnered
  • Fixed fees, VAT included

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

    Southwark Plan HMO policy and what it asks of a shared house

    The HMO policy of the Southwark Plan 2022 governs new HMOs. A scheme must not create an overconcentration, must meet the council's HMO standards, and must provide communal space, refuse storage and 1 cycle space per occupant. Each of those is something the drawings can show, which is why an HMO set here has more sheets than a simple layout.

    Communal space means more than a kitchen. The officer looks for somewhere to sit and eat that is not a bedroom, in proportion to the number of occupants. We draw the room at a usable shape, not a corridor with a table, and we mark the area so it can be read against the standard.

    Refuse and cycles are drawn at the front or the side of the house with the route from the street. A cycle store needs a level path and a door wide enough for a handlebar, and a bin store should not block the escape route. These are the details that make the difference between a clean application and a request for more information.

    Southwark's HMO Article 4 directions are narrow: the council lists only Henshaw Street and Bywater Place in Surrey Docks. Elsewhere a small shared house can usually begin without an application, so we check which side of that line your address falls before drawing.

    Overconcentration is judged on the surrounding streets rather than on a fixed percentage in our data, so we look at the licensed and approved HMOs nearby and write a short note for the officer explaining why one more shared house does not tip the balance. A clear note is far more persuasive than a drawing alone.

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

    Local figures for Southwark

    Figures with their unit, period and source
    MeasureValuePeriodSource
    New HMOs must not create an overconcentration, must meet the council's HMO standards, and provide communal space, refuse storage and one cycle space per occupant.1 cycle space per occupant—services.southwark.gov.uk, Southwark Plan 2022, Policy P9, p.122, P9
    Local planSouthwark Plan 2022—southwark.gov.uk
    Conservation areas53 named conservation areas published by the council—planning.data.gov.uk
    Listed building entries919 list entries (Historic England, within the LPA boundary)—planning.data.gov.uk
    Article 4 directions480 Article 4 directions published by the council—planning.data.gov.uk
    Tree preservation zones724 tree preservation zone polygons published by the council—planning.data.gov.uk
    Average house price572,478 GBP2026-07publicdata.landregistry.gov.uk
    Households130,818Census 2021 (21 March 2021)nomisweb.co.uk
    Householder applications granted94.8 %1 July 2025 - 30 June 2026assets.publishing.service.gov.uk
    Minor applications granted90.2 %1 July 2025 - 30 June 2026assets.publishing.service.gov.uk
    Borough CIL residential rate£598/m² (Zone 1); £300/m² (Zone 2); £74/m² (Zone 3)rates adjusted for 2026 indexation, schedule in effect from 29 September 2026southwark.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 Southwark
    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

    Southwark's heritage layers around a conversion

    This borough carries more designations than most. It holds 53 conservation areas, 919 list entries and 480 Article 4 directions in the planning dataset, plus 724 tree preservation zones and 36 Heritage at Risk entries. A Georgian or Victorian house is the typical HMO candidate, and it is also the house most likely to sit in a conservation area.

    That matters for the work an HMO needs. Replacing windows for fire and sound, adding a door to give a bedroom its own entrance or building a cycle shelter in the front garden can each need consent in their own right. We check every layer for the address first, and say at the quote stage if the layers make the conversion unrealistic.

    What the drawings cost against what the house is worth

    The average house price in Southwark is £572,478, a change of 0.1 per cent over twelve months, and the borough has 130,818 households. With values at that level, the cost of drawings is small against the sum at risk, and the cost of getting a layout wrong is large.

    Community infrastructure levy is a different matter. The borough charges £598/m² (Zone 1); £300/m² (Zone 2); £74/m² (Zone 3), depending on the zone, so a conversion that adds floor area, such as a rear or loft extension, can carry a levy bill that the drawings have to measure carefully. A change of use inside the existing floor area usually adds none, but we confirm that with the council.

    A rear addition to enlarge a communal kitchen is the usual way a conversion ends up paying, and the dearest zone costs several times the lowest, so a plan that shifts a little floor area is worth testing before it is submitted.

    Planning speed in Southwark and what to expect from the licensing side

    Southwark decided 558 householder applications in its latest year and granted 94.8 per cent. For minor applications it decided 560 and granted 90.2 per cent. These are borough-wide figures, not HMO figures, but they show a council that grants most of what it decides.

    Licensing sits beside planning. The room-size and fire conditions apply once five or more people from two or more households share, and Southwark's licensing team may set its own conditions. We ask before we draw and design to the stricter reading.

    Many Southwark houses are former family homes on narrow plots, so communal space is the scarce commodity. We prefer a ground-floor kitchen and dining room large enough for everyone to sit down, with bedrooms above, to a scheme that squeezes an extra bedroom in and leaves the tenants a corridor kitchen.

    Price, process and related Southwark drawings

    HMO conversion drawings in Southwark start at £995 including VAT, fixed after a free constraints check. The council's application fee is paid to the council, and we redraw at no charge if the officer asks for changes. We do not promise a decision.

    To create self-contained homes instead of a shared house, see flat conversion drawings in Southwark. Already shared and want it recognised? Read about lawful development certificates in Southwark. After consent, the technical set is covered by building regulations drawings in Southwark. The whole borough is at architectural drawings in Southwark.

    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 Southwark

    Questions

    What does Southwark require for a new HMO?

    The plan's HMO policy requires no overconcentration, compliance with the council's HMO standards, communal space, refuse storage and 1 cycle space per occupant.

    Do I need planning permission for an HMO in Southwark?

    Usually not for a small HMO, because the council lists HMO Article 4 directions only for Henshaw Street and Bywater Place. A large HMO always needs permission. We check your address first.

    How much are HMO conversion drawings in Southwark?

    From £995 including VAT, fixed after a free constraints check.

    Will a conservation area stop an HMO in Southwark?

    Not by itself, but it can affect the external changes an HMO needs. We check the address against all heritage layers first.

    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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