Immediate Article 4 Direction: Small Houses in Multiple Occupation

The number of HMOs in Harrow has increased significantly in recent years.

While some provide good-quality housing, others have led to:

• Poor living conditions
• Impacts on neighbours and local communities
• Pressure on local services
• Loss of family-sized homes

The Harrow Local Plan (2021–2041), adopted in March 2026, includes stronger policies to help address these issues.

• All new small HMOs (3–6 people) now require planning permission.
• You can no longer convert a home into a small HMO without planning permission.
• This applies to any property not already in HMO use before 12 June 2026.
• A property is only classed as an HMO once it is occupied by three or more unrelated people.

Large HMOs (7+ people) already require planning permission nationally.

The change does not impact the licensing regime for HMOs under the Housing Act 2004

The Direction applies to the whole borough of Harrow.

A dwellinghouse is a residential house or flat occupied by a single household such as a family. A dwellinghouse falls within Use Class ‘C3’ of the Town and Country Planning Use Classes Order which puts uses of land and buildings into various categories known as 'Use Classes'. 

In broad terms a House in Multiple Occupation or HMO as they are commonly known is a house or flat occupied as their main residence by unrelated occupants who share a communal kitchen, bathroom and/or toilet. In planning terms there are two different types of HMOs. HMOs with between three and six unrelated people sharing amenities are classed as ‘C4’ and referred to as small HMOs. Large HMOs can be defined in broad terms as consisting of more than six unrelated occupants who share amenities and do not fall within any use class and are considered 'sui generis'. 

The Planning Acts allow for some types of development or changes of use to take place without planning permission – for example, small extensions to dwellings or changing the use of a building from a dwelling house (C3) to a small HMO (C4). These exceptions are set out in the “General Permitted Development Order”. An Article 4 Direction enables local planning authorities to remove a particular permitted development right where there is a threat to the local amenity or the well-being of the area, or in the interests of the proper planning of an area. 

Harrow Council has introduced an immediate Article 4 Direction. This means:

• Planning permission is now required to convert a home (Use Class C3) into a small HMO (Use Class C4: 3–6 unrelated people).
• This rule applies across the entire borough.

The changes mean that the same planning requirements now apply to small HMOs as for large HMOs (7 or more unrelated people), which have always required planning permission. 

The purpose of the Direction is to manage the creation of new Small HMOs to prevent the loss of family size housing and the over-concentration of HMOs in the borough and any associated negative amenity impacts on the local community. 

The Direction came into effect on 12 June 2026.

The Direction covers the entire borough of Harrow

No, the Article 4 Direction only applies to new conversions from single dwellings to small HMOs after its implementation on 12 June 2026.  

Not necessarily. The change means you’ll now need to apply for planning permission before converting a property into a Small HMO. This doesn’t mean your application will be refused - it just means it will be assessed based on local planning policies and other relevant factors. The Council recognises that HMOs provide valuable, affordable housing for people on low incomes who may not qualify for affordable housing. This decision isn’t a blanket ban on HMOs - it’s about making sure any conversion is carefully considered to avoid negative impacts on the local area, such as changes to its character or increased pressure on services.

Any application will be assessed against the Harrow Local Plan 2021-2041, particularly Policy HO10: Housing with shared facilities (Houses in Multiple Occupation). The Local Plan can be found here: https://www.harrow.gov.uk/localplan

If your property has been newly occupied as a small HMO on or after 12 June 2026. If there are between three and six unrelated people occupying your property before 12 June 2026, you should not require planning permission.

Even if construction work started before 12 June 2026, unless the proposed is occupied as a small HMO before 12 June 2026, you will require planning permission. If the occupation of the property as a small HMO takes place on or after 12 June 2026, then planning permission would be required, even if construction work commenced before that date. 

There is a range of information which all planning applications are required to submit, including site plans and application forms. This list can be viewed on our website, via the following link: https://www.harrow.gov.uk/planning-developments 

No, the Direction does not change Licensing requirements as Planning and Licencing are distinctly different systems operating under different legislation.

View Licencing information for HMOs.