Most of the cost and risk in an HMO is decided at the design stage. In Towcester we start by measuring every room and checking West Northamptonshire Council's position on licensing and planning, then build the specification around it.
We'll tell you plainly if a house in Towcester isn't suited to the number of rooms you have in mind, and what it would take to make it work.
HMO rules in West Northamptonshire Council
| Rule | West Northamptonshire Council |
|---|---|
| Mandatory HMO licence (5+ people) | In force everywhere in England |
| Additional HMO licensing | In part of the area Parts of Northampton and Daventry, 24 February 2025 to 23 February 2030 |
| Selective licensing | None found |
| Article 4 direction for small HMOs | In part of the area The whole former Northampton borough, plus the Boughton Rise development |
Checked October 2026 against West Northamptonshire Council's HMO licensing page. Schemes change, so we confirm the position for your address before any work starts.
West Northamptonshire Council's Article 4 direction covers the whole former Northampton borough, not Towcester, so changing a family house here into a small HMO is usually permitted development. Seven or more occupants always needs planning permission. West Northamptonshire Council's additional licensing covers parts of Northampton and Daventry, which doesn't include Towcester, so the mandatory licence for five or more people is the main one to plan for there.
Our HMO void refurbishment service in Towcester
We turn round empty HMO rooms in Towcester between tenancies: inspection, repairs, redecoration, a deep clean and safety checks, finished with photos you can use to advertise the room. Each job is quoted per room or per job after we have seen it.
Because tenants can now give notice at any point in the year, voids in Towcester are harder to predict. We agree standard finishes and a set checklist with landlords across Northamptonshire, so a room can be put right without waiting on decisions.
- Move-out inspection with dated photos
- Repairs, filling and redecoration to an agreed standard
- Completion photos ready for advertising the room
- Deep clean of the room and nearby shared areas
- Fire door, closer and alarm checks
Void and turnaround refurbishment near Towcester
- Northampton 9.2 miles
- Brackley 9.7 miles
- Daventry 11.2 miles
- Wellingborough 17.1 miles
- Rushden 19.7 miles
- Rugby 20.1 miles