13-bed HMO conversion — The Freebird, ST5
A former pub being converted into thirteen letting rooms — steels, propping and structural alterations
- Status
- On site now
For landlords & investors
HMO conversions
Most builders will happily knock a house about for you. Far fewer understand what a licensing officer looks for when they walk through the door — which is why so many landlords end up paying twice.
We convert houses across Stoke-on-Trent, Staffordshire and the surrounding areas into HMOs that pass. Fire doors and compartmentation specified properly from day one, interlinked detection, en-suites that actually fit, and room sizes checked against the national minimums before a single wall goes up.
We work to a room schedule and a yield, not a vague brief. If a layout only gets you five rooms when six were possible, we will tell you at survey stage rather than after first fix.
What's involved
How the job actually runs.
Stage by stage, so you know what's happening in your house and roughly when.
- 01
Feasibility and room schedule
We walk the property with you, sketch the layout options and tell you honestly how many lettable rooms it will take — and what each one costs to deliver. You get a room-by-room schedule before you commit.
- 02
Planning and building control
Stoke-on-Trent currently has no Article 4 direction, so a change of use from C3 to C4 for three to six sharers is generally permitted development. Above six sharers it is a full planning application. Either way the work needs building regulations sign-off, and we handle the LABC submission and inspections.
- 03
Strip out and structural work
Back to brick where it needs to be. Chimney breasts removed and supported, openings formed, new steels where the layout demands it, floors levelled and made good.
- 04
Fire strategy and compartmentation
FD30S doors with intumescent strips and cold smoke seals, protected escape route, compartmentation between rooms and floors, and interlinked mains-wired detection to the correct grade and category for the property.
- 05
En-suites, services and second fix
New consumer unit, rewire, room-by-room heating, and en-suite pods built to fit the space rather than the catalogue. Every room gets data and enough sockets that tenants are not running extension leads.
- 06
Licensing-ready handover
You get the certificates a licensing officer will ask for — electrical installation condition report, gas safety, fire alarm commissioning, emergency lighting where required — filed together, not scattered across three subcontractors.
Why us for this
What you get that you might not elsewhere.
- We build to the licensing standard, not to "it will probably be fine".
- Room schedule and yield discussed before you commit, not after.
- Certificates handed over as one pack, ready for your application.
- Void periods cost you money, so programme dates are dates — not hopes.
- We work with landlords running portfolios, so we understand what the next one needs to look like.
Covering Stoke-on-Trent, Newcastle-under-Lyme, Stone, Stafford, Leek, Cheadle and the surrounding area.See all areas
Recent work
HMO conversions we've finished.
Questions we get asked
Do I need planning permission for an HMO in Stoke-on-Trent?
For a small HMO — three to six unrelated sharers, use class C4 — the change of use from a family home is usually permitted development, because Stoke-on-Trent City Council does not currently have an Article 4 direction removing that right. Seven or more sharers is a sui generis use and needs a full planning application. Rules change, so we check the current position on your specific address before we quote. Building regulations approval is needed either way.
What is the minimum bedroom size in an HMO?
The national mandatory standards set 6.51 m² for one person over 10, and 10.22 m² for two people over 10. Anything under 4.64 m² cannot be used as sleeping accommodation at all. Local authorities can and do set higher standards in their own licensing conditions, so we design to the council standard rather than the floor.
How long does an HMO conversion take?
A straightforward six-bed conversion of a house in reasonable condition typically runs 10 to 16 weeks on site. Back-to-brick projects, or anything needing structural alterations and a planning application, take longer. You get a programme with the quote.
Can you work on a property while it is tenanted?
Room-by-room refurbishments, yes, with a sequencing plan. A full conversion needs vacant possession — the fire strategy alone makes phased work impractical and unsafe.
Next step
Tell us what you want doing.
Ten minutes on the phone tells us both whether we're the right firm for the job. If we're not, we'll say so and point you at someone who is.
- Free site visit, no obligation
- Written itemised quote in 5 working days
- We reply within one working day