Booking accommodation for a work crew in Bromley usually comes down to one question: how many bedrooms do you actually need, and should it be one house or several apartments? Get it right and the team arrives to comfortable, private rooms at a sensible nightly cost. Get it wrong and you either overpay for space no one uses or squeeze people into shared rooms that wear them down over a long project. This guide sets out a simple way to size a booking for a team, the trade-off between a single house and multiple units, and the practical points that decide which works best.
Start with one bedroom per person
The safe default for adult workers is one bedroom each. Contractors and engineers on a job expect their own room to sleep, work and rest properly, and a team that shares rooms tends to lose focus and morale over a multi-week project. So begin by counting heads: a crew of four needs four bedrooms, a crew of six needs six. Twin rooms can stretch capacity for short stays or where colleagues genuinely do not mind sharing, but treat that as the exception, not the plan.
One house or several apartments?
Once you know the headcount, decide how to house them. Both routes work, and the right one depends on the team.
A single larger house
Putting the whole crew under one roof keeps everyone together, shares a kitchen and living space for evening meals and briefings, and is often the most cost-effective per head. It suits teams that get on, want to cook together and value a communal base. The limits are availability, large four, five and six-bedroom serviced houses are rarer than one and two-bedroom units, and licensing, which we cover below.
Several apartments
Splitting the team across two or three nearby apartments gives more privacy and flexibility, lets people come and go on different shifts without disturbing each other, and is easier to book when a single big house is not available. It can cost a little more per head and scatters the team, but for a supervisor who wants their own space, or a mixed group, it is often the better fit. Our guide to serviced accommodation for contractors in Bromley covers how operators configure these.
Mind the HMO threshold
There is one rule worth knowing before you book a single house for a larger group. When five or more people from two or more households share a property and share facilities such as a kitchen or bathroom, it is normally a house in multiple occupation and needs a mandatory HMO licence from the council. A reputable serviced-accommodation operator will already have the right licensing and safety measures in place, so ask the question directly. The official guidance on houses in multiple occupation explains where the line sits. For a team of four in a four-bedroom house this rarely applies, but for six people in one house it usually does.
A quick sizing guide
As a rough starting point for adult crews wanting their own rooms:
- 2 to 3 workers: a two or three-bedroom apartment or small house.
- 4 workers: a four-bedroom house, or two two-bedroom apartments.
- 5 to 6 workers: a five or six-bedroom house (check HMO licensing), or a pair of nearby apartments.
- 7 or more: usually two or more units, unless a suitably licensed large house is available.
The details that decide it
Beyond bedroom count, a few practical factors settle most bookings. Project length matters: for a long job, extra communal space and privacy pay off, whereas a short stay can tolerate a tighter fit. Parking is often decisive for a crew with vans, so confirm how many vehicles the property takes. Proximity to the site keeps travel time and cost down. And budget per head is easier to control across a single house, though splitting units can still be competitive. Weigh these against the team's preferences rather than booking purely on the lowest headline price.
Getting the booking right
To size a crew booking well: count one bedroom per person, decide between a single house and several apartments based on how the team works, check HMO licensing for larger single houses, and confirm parking and distance to the site. When you know your numbers, the Bromley Short Lets homepage and our guide to weekly and monthly short lets in Bromley can help you match a property to the team and the length of the project.
Frequently Asked Questions
How many bedrooms do I need for a work crew?
As a rule, one bedroom per person for adult workers, since contractors expect their own room to rest and work properly. So a crew of four needs four bedrooms and a crew of six needs six. Twin rooms can stretch capacity for short stays, but a room each is the safer default over a longer project.
Is it better to book one house or several apartments for a team?
A single house keeps the team together, shares a kitchen and living space, and is often cheapest per head, but large houses are rarer to find. Several apartments give more privacy and flexibility and are easier to book, at a slightly higher cost. The best choice depends on how the team works and what is available.
Do I need an HMO licence to house a crew in one property?
If five or more people from two or more households share a property and its facilities, it is normally a house in multiple occupation and needs a mandatory HMO licence. A professional serviced-accommodation operator will already hold the correct licence and safety measures, so confirm this when you book a larger single house.
Can a whole team share a serviced house in Bromley?
Yes. Larger serviced houses can take a full crew, with a bedroom each and shared kitchen and living space, provided the property is correctly licensed for the number of occupants. For bigger teams, operators often combine a large house with a nearby apartment or split the group across units.
What else should I check besides bedroom count?
Confirm parking for any vans, the distance to the site, the length of stay against the space on offer, and the licensing for larger single houses. Balancing these with the team's preferences, rather than booking on the lowest price alone, gives the crew a comfortable base that keeps them productive.