HMO is rejected in my area. Can I still get one?

Generally, many types of minor development, such as a change of use from a
single dwelling house (use class C3) to a small HMO shared by 3 to 6 unrelated
residents (use class C4), do not require planning permission. That’s what we call a
Permitted Development Right.

However, if the local planning authority of an area believes, with strong evidence,
that this right is detrimental to the proper planning of the area, they can withdraw
this right by making an Article 4 direction. This could be permanent, but it also
could be canceled if the reasons why it was made are no longer valid. Also, it
doesn’t apply retrospectively.

This, though, doesn’t mean you cannot get an HMO in an area of an Article 4; It
means that it’s no longer a permitted development right and it will require planning
permission, which is, in most cases, not easy.

At SAM Planning, we do the uneasy. Here is a case of a property that falls within an area where an Article 4 is in place in Haringey. For this property, we’ve achieved planning permission for the conversion and change of use of the existing 2* 3-bedroom flats (C3 use) on the first and loft floors of the property, to one large-scale 8-bedroom HMO (sui-generis).

Feel free to contact us for an HMO application or for free advice about your case.