It’s the first question most landlords ask, and it’s surprisingly hard to get a straight answer online. So here’s the honest version: what drives the price, what the market typically charges, and how to avoid paying twice.
The short answer
For a typical HMO, you’ll commonly see quotes ranging from around £150 to £400 or more, depending on the property and who’s doing the assessing. A small two-storey shared house sits at the lower end. A large converted building with bedsits, communal areas over several floors and a complicated escape route sits at the top end, and sometimes beyond it.
We quote a fixed price up front based on the property’s details, so you know the cost before anyone visits. Send us the basics (size, storeys, number of lettings, postcode) and you’ll have a number, usually the same working day.
What actually drives the price
- Size and layout. More storeys, more rooms and more communal space mean more time on site and a longer report.
- How the building is used. Bedsits with cooking in rooms carry more risk, and need more assessing, than a simple shared house.
- The state of the paperwork. If there’s an existing assessment to review and update, that’s quicker than starting from scratch.
- What’s included. A proper assessment includes a written report with photographs and a prioritised action plan. If a quote seems cheap, check it actually includes a usable document rather than a tick-box form.
A review costs less than a new assessment
If you already have a decent baseline assessment, an annual review is significantly cheaper than a full re-assessment. The assessor confirms nothing significant has changed and updates the document. We covered how often a review is needed separately, but the short version: an annual review is what most Hounslow licence conditions expect, and it’s the cheap way to stay continuously compliant.
Why the cheapest quote can cost you more
Councils don’t just want an assessment, they want a suitable and sufficient one, done by someone competent. A bargain assessment that misses the obvious (wrong alarm grade, unprotected escape route, no mention of the fire doors) gets picked apart at a licensing inspection. Then you pay again: for a proper assessment, for the remedial work, and sometimes in delays to your licence.
The test to apply to any quote: will the report tell you clearly what must be fixed, what should be improved, and what’s already fine? If it can’t do that, it isn’t worth much at any price.
What happens on the day
For context on what you’re paying for: a typical 4-6 bed HMO takes around 1-2 hours on site. The assessor works through the means of escape, detection and alarms, fire doors, emergency lighting, hazards and ignition sources, and the management arrangements. The written report with photographs follows within a few working days. That report is what you hand the council at licensing, so it earns its keep quickly.
Get a fixed price for your property
No obligation, and no surprises on the day. Request a quote with your property details, or read more about our HMO fire risk assessments across Hounslow and West London.