HMO Planning Permission For Landlords in Peterborough
By Wayne Beecham | Created on 6th October 2025
If you’re thinking of renting out a larger property in the Peterborough area, you may be considering letting it as a house in multiple occupation (HMO). But depending on the size of the property and the area, you may need to apply for planning permission. As a landlord in Peterborough, Northampton, Kettering or the surrounding areas, you need to know how HMO planning rules affect you.
What Are HMO properties in Peterborough?
Houses in multiple occupation (HMOs) are usually defined as a property let to three or more unrelated individuals or households, who share some facilities. An HMO could be a house where individual tenants rent rooms from you directly, or a shared house, where three or more students or young professionals take on the whole tenancy.
What are HMO planning permission challenges?
There are plenty of advantages to renting a property as an HMO, rather than to one family – your rental income is likely to be higher and if one tenant falls into arrears, you should still receive payments from the others.
However, the HMO sector is more highly regulated than standard buy-to-let, and some HMOs must be licensed by your local authority. Others only require a licence if your local council has introduced a selective licensing scheme.
But in changing your property from a family home to an HMO, you may also need to apply for planning permission from your local authority. Licensing and planning are handled by different council departments – so successfully applying for an HMO licence doesn’t mean the council will automatically grant you planning permission.
To find out more, read the questions we’re frequently asked about planning permission and HMOs…
Do You Need HMO Planning Permission?
Under the General Permitted Development Order (GDPO), houses can be converted to small HMOs without the need for planning permission – though you may still need to go through building control depending on the necessary changes.
However, you will need planning permission for a large HMO. If your local authority has an Article 4 Direction in place, you need planning permission for an HMO of any size.
HMOs & Planning Permission Explained
If you want to construct, alter or extend a building, you may need planning permission from your local authority. You will also need it if you change the way a building is used, from a home to a business, for example.
You may need to apply for planning permission if you want to turn a single family house into an HMO, depending on the number of tenants and the location. The Town and Country Planning (Use Classes) Order 1987, defines an HMO as: “A shared house occupied by between three or more unrelated individuals, as their only or main residence, who share basic amenities such as a kitchen or bathroom.”
Under planning regulations, different types of building are given different classifications – here are the key ones relating to residential and HMO property:
C3 family home – A normal, single household property is classed as a C3 dwelling.
C4 HMOs – These are the first type of HMO property, and have between three and six unrelated people sharing amenities, usually a kitchen or bathroom.
Large/Sui Generis HMOs – These are the larger, second type of HMO, which has seven or more unrelated people sharing facilities such as a kitchen or bathroom.
The need for planning permission usually arises when you are trying to convert a property from a C3 or C4 dwelling into a large HMO property.
When Do I Need Planning Permission For My HMO?
If you want to change a family home (C3) to a larger (Sui Generis) HMO, you will need to obtain planning permission. Certain building projects and changes of use can be carried out without submitting a planning application – a process known as permitted development.
You may not need planning permission for:
A change of use from a single family dwelling (C3) to a smaller HMO (C4) the change can usually be made under permitted development rules.
Resident landlords who are letting to fewer than 6 lodgers.
HMO with up to 6 bedrooms within an Article 4 area, if they are already recognised as HMOs by the council.
You will need planning permission for:
A C4 class HMO where your local authority has put an Article 4 Direction in place.
A larger number of occupants (if more than 6 tenants are living in an HMO property).
Other planning restrictions may also apply to smaller HMOs, so it’s worth checking with your council first – see below for a list of councils in the Peterborough, Northamptonshire and Cambridgeshire area.
Article 4 Restrictions And HMO Planning Permission near Peterborough 2025
As of 1 January 2024, the Peterborough areas of the Hamptons, Park Ward, and Fletton and Woodston are subject to an Article 4 Direction. The current Article 4 direction covering HMOs in these three areas runs for 2 years.
But how do Article 4 Directions affect HMO landlords?
Article 4 restrictions allow councils to remove permitted development rights and require planning permission for small HMOs as well as larger ones. This means landlords converting a C3 home to a C4 HMO may need to complete a full planning application.
They are usually put in place by local authorities in areas with a high concentration of HMOs. Common reasons for Article 4 Directions to be introduced include a rise in antisocial behaviour or crime, pressure on local services or loss of local character in the neighbourhood, particularly conservation areas.
What Changes Do Article 4 Directions Restrict?
There are 56 separate Article 4 Directions across Peterborough, and the restrictions are not the same in each area. Apart from change of use, they can a range of alterations from cover extensions and porches, or altering chimneys and re-roofing, to painting brickwork and changing exterior doors and windows.
Why Are Article 4 Directions Used In Peterborough?
Peterborough City Council initially introduced Article 4 Directions to protect the city’s period properties. Sympathetic alterations are important in retaining the city’s character, and in the late 1970s and early 1980s, the council became concerned about changes being made to Peterborough’s Victorian and Edwardian terraced houses.
6-Bedroom Homes And HMO Planning Permission
You will need planning permission to operate an HMO in an Article 4 area, including large and small HMOs – but there are limited exceptions. HMOs with 6 bedrooms or less may not need planning permission if they are already formalised as class c4 properties.
If you’re unsure, search your local authority’s Planning Portal to find out if your rental has an approved Lawful Development Certificate. It’s always a good idea to seek expert advice.
The Process For Getting HMO Planning Permission
IIf your small HMO property isn’t in an Article 4 area, you can apply for permission through permitted development. Otherwise, you will need to get full planning permission for an HMO, which can take 2 to 12 months.
Landlords will need to:
appoint an architect or planning consultant
submit an application form, plans and drawings, and a design and access statement
include area-specific documents like a Transport Statement or Heritage Impact Assessment
Professional fees for an HMO planning application can be around £1000 and are typically higher for a more complex case.
Getting Planning Permission For An HMO: The Costs
Check the exact prices with your local council’s planning department but in Peterborough, the cost of HMO planning application is the same for a C3 dwelling house to C4, C3 to Large Sui Generis or Class E to Large Sui Generis. You should also budget for landlord licensing fees.
Cost of planning permission for a house in multiple occupation costs – around £462.
Cost of a Lawful Development Certificate for Existing Use – around £462.
HMO licensing, currently £1,110 in Peterborough.
What Happens If I Don’t Get Planning Permission For My HMO?
If you don’t apply for planning permission, and you need it, you will be regarded as having breached planning rules.
The local authority can grant you retrospective planning permission – however, they could equally serve you with an enforcement notice, requiring you to return the property to its original class and ask your tenants to leave. If you don’t comply with the notice, you could be prosecuted.
Can I Convert A House Into An HMO Under Permitted Development Rights?
Yes, if you are converting from a C3 dwelling to a small C4 HMO, as long as the property isn’t within an Article 4 Direction area. You can also carry out certain works to a C4 property under permitted development rights, such as extensions and loft conversions of a certain size.
However, you may need building control approval, and you should always check with your local authority before beginning your building project.
Find Your Local Authority
If you are thinking of setting up houses in multiple occupation (HMOs), use these links to find out more about the licensing and rules in your area. You will also need to visit your council’s planning pages to find out about Article 4 Directions and other restrictions.
Contact us, and we will be more than happy to help you.
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Wayne Beecham
Wayne is East Midland’s answer to property management. His hard work and high standards of service have gained him a fierce reputation within the regional lettings market. He knows what it takes to own and manage a profitable portfolio himself, because he is not only a successful investor and landlord, but co-founder and “hands on” managing director of Progressive Lets.
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