Most of the cost and risk in an HMO is decided at the design stage. In Bourne we start by measuring every room and checking South Kesteven District Council's position on licensing and planning, then build the specification around it.
Our team is based in Great Barr, Birmingham, about 66 miles from Bourne. That keeps survey visits, site meetings and follow-up inspections easy to arrange.
HMO rules in South Kesteven District Council
| Rule | South Kesteven District Council |
|---|---|
| Mandatory HMO licence (5+ people) | In force everywhere in England |
| Additional HMO licensing | Not confirmed |
| Selective licensing | Not confirmed |
| Article 4 direction for small HMOs | Not confirmed |
Checked October 2026. Schemes change, so we confirm the position for your address before any work starts.
We couldn't confirm South Kesteven District Council's Article 4 position from its own website, so we check it with the council for the address. Seven or more occupants always needs planning permission. We couldn't confirm whether South Kesteven District Council runs additional licensing, so we check with the council for the address.
Our HMO loft conversion service in Bourne
Plenty of houses have roof space that could hold extra bedrooms, but in Bourne we always measure the headroom first, because floor under a 1.5 m ceiling does not count towards room size. That tells you how many rooms the loft can really add.
A loft room usually creates a third storey, so we plan the protected escape route and alarm upgrades for the whole Bourne house, not just the new floor. We also check the occupant count, because seven or more residents needs planning permission anywhere in Lincolnshire.
- Planning and permitted development position checked first
- New staircase and protected escape route
- Alarm extended and doors upgraded on lower floors
- Headroom survey and countable floor area calculation
- Structural design and building control application