UK HMO licensing by council
Every UK local authority below, with their Mandatory, Additional and Selective licensing schemes, fee ranges, and whether an Article 4 direction restricts C3 to C4 HMO conversion. Free to read, no sign-up.
What these schemes are, in plain English
- Mandatory HMO licensing. National statutory rule. A property let to 5+ people from 2+ households with shared facilities must be licensed by the council. Applies everywhere in England and Wales.
- Additional HMO licensing. Discretionary scheme that captures smaller HMOs (typically 3+ from 2+ households) in defined areas. Each council decides whether to operate one.
- Selective licensing. Covers any private rental in defined areas, not just HMOs. Designed to drive up standards in poor-quality stock.
- Article 4 direction (HMO). Planning instrument. Where in force, it removes the permitted-development right for converting a dwelling (Use Class C3) into a small HMO (C4). New conversions need full planning permission, which is frequently refused in saturated areas.
Licensing schemes are renewed every 3-5 years and Article 4 directions can be added or revoked between renewals. Every entry below has a “last reviewed” date. Verify directly with the council before relying on this data for a purchase, sale or conversion decision.
Councils with an Article 4 direction restricting HMO conversion
23 councils. In these areas, converting a dwelling to a small HMO needs full planning permission, not just a licence.
Bath and North East Somerset
Bath city wards including Westmoreland, Oldfield, Widcombe and Lyncombe
Birmingham
Selly Oak, Bournbrook, Edgbaston Park, Harborne and parts of Moseley
Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole
Bournemouth town centre and selected surrounding wards
Brighton and Hove
Whole city
Bristol, City of
Cotham, Redland, Clifton, Bishopston, Easton, Ashley, Lawrence Hill
Cambridge
Whole city
Cardiff
Cathays, Plasnewydd and parts of Riverside
Coventry
Selected wards including Earlsdon, Cheylesmore and St Michael's
Exeter
Whole city
Leeds
Designated outcodes including LS2, LS4, LS6 and parts of LS7, LS8, LS11
Leicester
Castle, Stoneygate, Wycliffe and Westcotes wards
Liverpool
Kensington and Fairfield, Picton, Princes Park, Greenbank, parts of Wavertree
Manchester
City-wide expansion adopted 2024, covering all residential C3 to C4 conversion
Newcastle upon Tyne
Sandyford, Heaton, Jesmond, Spital Tongues, Wingrove
Nottingham
Selected wards including Arboretum, Dunkirk and Lenton, and Wollaton East and Lenton Abbey
Oxford
Whole city
Plymouth
Selected wards near the University of Plymouth campus
Portsmouth
Central, Charles Dickens, Eastney and Craneswater, Fratton, Milton and St Jude wards
Reading
Redlands, Park, Battle and Whitley wards
Sheffield
Crookes, Walkley, Broomhill, Sharrow Vale, Highfield and University area
Southampton
Whole city
Tower Hamlets
Whole borough
York
Whole city
Documented councils with no current Article 4 HMO direction
4 councils. Some still operate Additional or Selective Licensing schemes, see the per-council page for detail.
Other UK local authorities
167 councils we have not yet fact-checked individually. The page for each lists the statutory baseline and tells you exactly what to verify with the council.
Show all 167
Buying a property to convert to an HMO?
Our Investor-tier property report includes an Article 4 + licensing check for the specific address, alongside yield, ROI, cashflow and HMO market data. From £49.99.
See the Investor sample report