Article 4 HMO Checker + Property Insights
Check any UK property in seconds — Article 4 status, sold prices, council compliance, and more.
Find your next investment property
Hand-picked, pre-negotiated property investments — only inside the app. Two ways to invest:
Below Market Value (BMV)
Properties priced 10-25% below comparable sales. Hand-picked from off-market sources, pre-negotiated, due-diligence done.
- Pre-negotiated discount
- Sourcing fee paid by vendor
- Comparable evidence + survey notes
- BMV up to 25% under market value
Ready-made HMOs
Already-tenanted, licensed, compliant. Skip the conversion, planning, and refurb — collect rent from day one.
- Tenanted from day one
- HMO licence + compliance in place
- Gas, EICR, fire safety certificates included
- Typical gross yields 9-14%
Bought your HMO? Manage it the easy way with Propsee
Property management software built by an HMO investor, for HMO investors.
- Manage tenants, rent, and compliance in one place
- Built-in HMO compliance tracking (gas safety, EICR, license renewals)
- Tenant communications and messaging
- Real-time rent and arrears tracking
- GDPR-compliant tenant data storage
Get the free Article 4 master spreadsheet
All 190 directions across 100+ English councils — updated monthly.
Article 4 + HMO Essentials
What is Article 4?
An Article 4 Direction is a planning order issued by a local council that removes "permitted development rights" — the rights that normally let an owner convert a single-family home (use Class C3) into a small HMO of 3-6 occupants (use Class C4) without planning permission.
In an Article 4 area, you must apply for full planning permission to convert a C3 to a C4. The council will weigh the application against its own HMO concentration policy.
What does Article 4 do to property values?
It depends on the property type. Existing HMOs with valid planning use typically appreciate because supply is restricted — the council won't easily approve more competition. Single-family homes in the area can go either way: investor demand drops, but owner-occupier demand often holds steady or rises as the area "de-HMOs."
The price-impact chart above (when shown) compares average sold prices in the 24 months before and after the council's Article 4 effective date for that postcode.
Can I still get planning permission for an HMO in an Article 4 area?
Yes — Article 4 doesn't ban HMOs. It just requires you to apply. Each council weighs the application against density, parking, refuse, and amenity standards. Many councils publish HMO concentration policies — for example, "no more than 10% of properties within a 100-metre radius can be HMOs." If your target property would breach the policy, the application is likely to be refused.
Always check the council's local plan and HMO supplementary planning document before purchasing.
What about HMO licensing — is that the same thing?
No. HMO licensing is a separate housing regulation that applies once a property is being used as an HMO, regardless of Article 4 status. You can have one without the other:
- An HMO can be licensable but in a non-Article-4 area (no planning permission needed for the C4)
- An HMO can be in an Article 4 area but too small to need a license (e.g. 3-4 occupants in a council with no additional licensing)
What's the difference between mandatory and additional HMO licensing?
Mandatory licensing is national. It applies to any HMO with 5 or more occupants forming 2 or more households. Every English council enforces it.
Additional licensing is a council-level scheme that extends licensing to smaller HMOs (often 3-4 occupants from 2+ households). The council declares the scheme by area — sometimes borough-wide, sometimes specific wards.
Selective licensing goes further still: it covers all private rented properties in a designated area, HMO or not.
The Council HMO Compliance Hub above (when shown) lists which schemes apply in your queried area.
What if I'm in Scotland, Wales, or Northern Ireland?
This tool covers England only. Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland have devolved planning and housing systems with different rules:
- Scotland — mandatory HMO licensing applies to all 3+ occupant HMOs from 2+ households, country-wide. Article 4 equivalents are rarer.
- Wales — Rent Smart Wales licenses all private landlords; HMO licensing rules mirror England's.
- Northern Ireland — separate HMO regulator (NIHE) handles all licensing.