Can I internally convert my house into multiple studios?

M47

Hi

I have a large number of siblings, 8 to be exact we have all grown up in a large family house and are all of adult ages.

As we are becoming of age, a suggestion was put to us, but I am not sure if this would be legal without planning permission?

Would we be able to make some internal changes to the property, that would essentially internally, divide the property into eight separate studios for us to each separately live in?

This would enable us to have our own separate space, e.g. a self contained home with individual kitchen and bathroom/living space.

I know we’d need planning permission, if we wanted to do this with the idea of selling, or if we wanted to officially separate the property into multiple units on paper.

But would we be breaking any laws if we were to carry out the internal changes to the property and or just simply live in our own individual studios, within our family house?

HampshireH

Planning permission and building regs sign off

https://www.planningportal.co.uk/permission/common-projects/flats-and-maisonettes/convert-house-to-flat

Also need to meet fire safety regulations with seperate dwellings in one building

elsien

Planning permission aside, has whoever put the suggestion to you properly considered for disruption involved in trying to do this?

There are some houses in my street that are been converted, and they are being ripped apart. You certainly couldn’t live there while it was going on. 

marcia_

 You would each have to pay individual council tax if self contained accommodation 

EssexHebridean

Would this count as an HMO? 

marcia_

EssexHebridean said:

Would this count as an HMO? 

 Unsure maybe not because they are related? 

user1977

marcia_ said:

EssexHebridean said:

Would this count as an HMO? 

 Unsure maybe not because they are related? 

Not clear in what sense they will still be “within a family home” if every studio is self-contained? Sounds like an HMO to me as they’re running separate households.

gwynlas

Whilst it might seem like a good idea there would be costs involved in installing extra kitchen and en suite facilities.

In effect you would be creating a HMO though not for profit but you would still need to meet planning and building regulation standards.

What would happen when your siblings meet partners and want to start families?

FreeBear

gwynlas said:

Whilst it might seem like a good idea there would be costs involved in installing extra kitchen and en suite facilities.

Not forgetting sub-metering of gas, electricity, water, and heat (if there is just one boiler) - What happens if one occupant refuses to pay the bill..

Who will own the building, and would each sibling have a share ?

If siblings own equal shares, what happens in the event of major repairs ?

If equal ownership, what happens if (when) one wants to release equity and/or move out ?

lincroft1710

Don't think it's an HMO if there are to be individual self contained studio apartments which would therefore be considered separate dwellings. Would be no different from any large house converted into self contained apartments and each let out on an AST

itsthelittlethings

lincroft1710 said:

Don't think it's an HMO if there are to be individual self contained studio apartments which would therefore be considered separate dwellings. Would be no different from any large house converted into self contained apartments and each let out on an AST

Would they all have their own bathroom? This doesn’t seem very practical. If not wouldn’t it be an HMO?