Liverpool extends Article 4 to five more areas: small HMOs there now need planning permission

Since 5 November 2026, turning a house into a small HMO for three to six unrelated people needs planning permission in five more areas of Liverpool, among them Walton, Old Swan East, Sefton Park and part of Penny Lane; HMOs already in use before then are not affected. Below: the wards, the cost and time of a conversion, and what to do before licence fees rise on 16 November and the consultation closes on 26 November, for anyone investing in HMOs in the city.

What changed

Five immediate Article 4 directions came into effect on 5 November 2026, removing the right to turn a house into a small HMO without planning permission in five areas of Liverpool, subject to the council confirming them within six months.

Liverpool Express, the council's news site, reported on 5 October 2026 that small HMOs had grown by 15% inside the existing Article 4 boundary over a three-year period, against 57% elsewhere in the city.

The further direction's area is shown on the council's map, not as a list of wards. By law, the five immediate directions expire unless confirmed within six months, by early May 2027; after the consultation closes on 26 November 2026, Cabinet will consider whether to confirm them.

An Article 4 direction removes a permitted development right in a defined area, here the right in the General Permitted Development Order 2015 (Schedule 2, Part 3, Class L) to change a house (use class C3) into a small HMO (use class C4) without a planning application, as our guide to how HMO licensing and Article 4 work explains.

Who it affects

Anyone who turns a house into an HMO for three to six unrelated people in one of the five areas from 5 November 2026 needs planning permission first; HMOs already in use before that date are not affected.

The council's test is three or more unrelated people forming two or more separate households who share facilities such as a kitchen and bathroom. An HMO for seven or more people needs planning permission anywhere in Liverpool. The council's page still lists its two earlier directions, the Dales (19 July 2018) and 11 wards (17 June 2021); the five new areas add to them.

If you already let an HMO in one of the five areas, the council offers a Lawful Development Certificate as formal proof that planning permission is not required. Its consultation FAQ says evidence is judged on the balance of probabilities, and that a sworn statement or affidavit carries more weight than a statement sent by email or letter. Keep tenancy agreements, HMO licences and council tax records that show the HMO use began before 5 November 2026.

Where a house is marketed as a conversion opportunity, the council's consultation FAQ says that use as a small HMO needs either a planning application or a Certificate of Lawfulness of Existing Use. If you are buying an existing HMO, have your solicitor confirm its lawful use before exchange. Take advice from a planning consultant or solicitor on your own property.

What it means in numbers

A new small HMO in one of the five areas now needs a £610 planning application and a council decision, due within eight weeks for an application that is not major development, before it can be let as an HMO; a five-person HMO also needs a licence, £1,328 as at 12 November 2026.

The £610 is the national fee from 1 April 2026 for one dwelling's change of use; draft fee regulations, not yet made into law, would raise planning fees from 8 December 2026 if approved.

An HMO licence is needed where five or more people forming two or more households share facilities. The council charges £1,328 for up to 5 units of accommodation, for new licences and renewals for up to five years. It says fees will increase on 16 November 2026 and it will publish the new fees on its licence page.

Example: converting a terraced house in one of the five areas into a five-bedroom HMO for five sharers (illustrative, not a forecast or a real deal; the council bases the licence fee on the number of units, which it counts as bedrooms).

A conversion that needs planning permission is unlikely to reach the licence stage before 16 November 2026, so budget for the new licence fee once the council publishes it.

The bigger risk is refusal: the council says the directions would not prevent the development of HMOs, but permission may be refused, and without it the conversion cannot lawfully go ahead. The consultation page cites Local Plan policies H10 and H11. An HMO run without the planning consent it needs also risks a shorter licence, the council's licence page says.

Property values and rental income can fall, and returns are not guaranteed. This is not legal or planning advice: speak to a planning consultant or solicitor before you buy a house to convert.

What to do and by when

Check the address against the council's map now, keep proof of any existing HMO use, and respond to the consultation by 26 November 2026.

• Now: check the address on the Article 4 map linked from the council's HMO planning page.
• Already let an HMO in the five areas: keep proof the HMO use began before 5 November 2026, and consider a Lawful Development Certificate.
• 16 November 2026: licence fees rise; the council will publish the new fees on its HMO licence page.
• By 26 November 2026: respond through the online survey on the council's consultation page, or by post; email questions to planning.engagement@liverpool.gov.uk.
• Before buying to convert: budget for a planning application (£610 at the 1 April 2026 national rate) and a decision period of up to eight weeks, and allow for refusal.
• By early May 2027: watch for Cabinet's decision; the five directions expire if not confirmed.
• Before 5 November 2027: check addresses elsewhere in the city against the further direction's map.

Separately, Liverpool's current selective licensing scheme, introduced in April 2022, runs until March 2027.

Frequently asked questions

Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.

By Paul Wyatt · Reviewed by David Jacobs · Published 12 November 2026