HMOs and planning permission

Planning permission may be required for your HMO. 

You may need to apply for planning permission if you intend to:

• build or convert a building into an HMO
• change a family house to an HMO

If the building or conversion work has already taken place, you may need to apply for retrospective planning permission.

You can find out more on our Article 4 Directions page. 

Please note that a HMO licence granted for a property does not confer planning permission on it.

We will take into account the planning status of an HMO as part of the licence application process. In the case of unauthorised use, we will grant a licence with a shorter term, usually 1 year. If a reduced term licence is granted due to a breach of planning control, the landlord should address this within that same period. This will be either by fixing the breach (returning an unauthorised HMO back to single family use) or getting the necessary planning consent. 

It is your responsibility to find out if your property requires planning permission. You may be refused planning permission to use your property as a HMO. This may result in you having to cease the use of the property as a HMO under the planning system’s regulatory framework, regardless of a HMO licence.

We recommend you seek planning advice either from:

• Haringey’s planning team
• an independent planning consultant
• other professional adviser specialising in planning matters