Liverpool seeks Article 4 powers to manage small HMO growth 2026

Key Points

• Article 4 directions will be put to the Liverpool City Council cabinet for adoption which will mean that there must be planning permission prior to any conversion of family homes to small HMOs for 3-6 unrelated residents.
• The measures would be effective immediately within certain hotspots which include Kirkdale, Everton, County, Walton, Orrell Park, some parts of Fazakerley, Tuebrook Larkhill, Old Swan, Stoneycroft, Penny Lane, Calderstones, St Michaels and Sefton Park.
• Planning permission is required for larger HMOs which house more than six individuals, and this regulation aims at small HMOs which can convert without the need for planning permission using the national permitted development rights.
• It has been noted through the council’s assessment that HMOs comprise of 3%-4.6% of the Liverpool’s housing stock while the small HMOs within the current Article 4 area have increased by 15% during the past three years as opposed to the 57% increase outside this Article 4 area.
• The measures will allow more control over family housing to ensure balanced and sustainable communities according to Cllr Nick Small, while Cllr Hetty Wood highlighted the HMO’s role in meeting the demand for housing although in a more planned manner.

Liverpool (Liverpool standard) October 06, 2026 – Greater controls are to be introduced to manage the growth and concentration of houses in multiple occupation (HMOs) across Liverpool, with the city council’s cabinet expected to approve new Article 4 directions that remove automatic conversion rights for family homes into small HMOs. The move follows years of rising HMO numbers and recent appeal decisions that have intensified debate over how best to balance housing supply with community stability.

What new HMO planning controls is Liverpool City Council introducing?

Liverpool City Council is preparing to introduce additional Article 4 directions that would require planning permission before a family home can be converted into a small HMO accommodating between three and six unrelated people who share facilities such as a kitchen or bathroom. Under current national permitted development rights, this type of conversion can generally take place without planning permission unless an Article 4 direction is in force, while larger HMOs accommodating more than six people already require planning permission.

The changes would not ban HMOs outright. Instead, the direction would remove the automatic right to convert family homes and would require any proposed development to go through the planning process, enabling planners to assess issues including the concentration of existing HMOs, the loss of family housing, effects on neighbourhood character and pressures on parking, waste services and community facilities.

Where will the new Article 4 HMO controls apply in Liverpool?

If approved, the additional controls would take immediate effect in areas where evidence has identified growing concentrations of HMOs. These include Kirkdale, Everton, County, Walton, Orrell Park and part of Fazakerley. Part of Tuebrook Larkhill would be included alongside Old Swan and part of Stoneycroft as well as Penny Lane, part of Calderstones, with St Michaels and Sefton Park also part of the direction.

A council assessment reports that HMOs represent between 3% and 4.6% of the city’s housing stock. Although most HMOs remain within the existing Article 4 area, the number of small HMOs grew by 15% inside the boundary over a three-year period, compared with 57% elsewhere in the city.

Why is Liverpool tightening HMO rules now?

In July, Cllr Liam Robinson, leader of Liverpool Council, said the authority would wage “war” on HMOs amid growing concern about the concentration of developments in communities. Cllr Nick Small, cabinet member for growth and economy, said:

“HMOs play an important role in meeting Liverpool’s housing needs, but we must be able to manage where new properties are created and prevent excessive concentrations from placing unfair pressure on individual neighbourhoods.”

“These proposals would give us greater oversight of new HMOs, helping to protect family housing and ensure our communities remain balanced and sustainable,”

Small added.

“This will mean that all proposals are properly considered through the planning process, taking account of their location and potential impact on residents and local services.”

Cllr Hetty Wood, cabinet member for housing, said:

“We want Liverpool’s neighbourhoods to remain places where people can put down roots, raise families and feel proud of where they live. HMOs provide an important housing option for many people and will continue to have a place in our city.”

“We also need to make sure communities remain balanced and that local residents have confidence that new developments are being carefully considered. By taking a more planned approach to future growth, we can help ensure Liverpool’s neighbourhoods remain welcoming, sustainable places where people want to live for years to come.”

How have recent HMO appeals influenced the council’s stance?

A city council’s decision to declare a series of HMOs unlawful has been overruled on appeal, with the Planning Inspectorate overturning refusals on four properties earlier in 2026. Documents revealed how, in one case, while the city council was aware of evidence to prove an eight-person HMO in Greenbank Park was in use, it did not request it, and an application for a nine-person HMO on Hartington Road was also found to have been judged too harshly.

A Liverpool Council spokesperson said: “While in these particular cases the council did not feel assured by the evidence provided by the landlord and therefore rejected the applications for a certificate of lawfulness, applicants exercised their right to appeal to the Planning Inspectorate, which independently reviewed the evidence and reached a different conclusion.” “This result does not change the council’s position on the need for stronger controls over HMOs. While these appeals were about specific evidence, the council’s wider work is about protecting tenants and balanced neighbourhoods.”

What is the political debate around HMOs in Liverpool?

The row over the city’s battle with HMOs has intensified after comments by the local authority’s housing chief. While the city council declared “war” on HMOs across the city as it unveiled its local plan to curb the number of them popping up in communities, housing boss Wood recently claimed there had been “fear-mongering” about them.

“I totally recognise that people have worries about HMOs and who is living in HMOs, but I think there’s a lot of misinformation going on out there,” Wood said. “There’s a lot of fearmongering happening and there’s a lot of dog-whistle politics happening in terms of trying to wind people up.”

She added: “I think we need to look better and deeper into who is living in HMOs and we’ve had HMOs across our city as long as anything.” “I think there’s also a concern that the only residents that are going into HMOs are migrants, and asylum seekers. One, that’s not true, but secondly, there’s so much fearmongering around migrants and asylum seekers that is totally incorrect and totally wrong, and being whipped up by the far right to try to tell communities ‘if you have asylum seekers in your community, you’re not safe’ and that has been put together with the HMO fearmongering.”

Liberal group leader Steve Radford condemned the comments and called for Wood’s immediate resignation as cabinet member for housing. “We believe she is totally out of touch over the impact on communities and the legitimate concerns of local residents,” Radford said. “This shows a contempt for the views of residents and her utter failure to protect balanced sustainable communities.”

What is the next step for Liverpool’s HMO Article 4 directions?

Subject to cabinet approval, the council would publish the proposed directions and begin a statutory consultation. Residents, businesses and other interested parties would be able to submit representations, which would be considered before the cabinet decides whether to confirm the directions.

Background: how Liverpool’s HMO controls have developed

Liverpool has long used Article 4 directions to manage HMO growth in specific wards. All HMOs for seven or more people must have planning permission across the city, and in 11 wards permission is also needed for HMOs for three or more people. The change in law in those wards is in response to an Article 4 directive, with premises in use as HMOs for three or more people before 17 June 2021 not affected by the change.

Mandatory HMO licensing applies to all properties with five or more people who make up two or more households, while a selective licensing scheme introduced in April 2022 runs until March 2027 and covers around 80% of the city’s private rental sector. A new Private Sector Housing Enforcement Policy and a new Private Sector Housing Civil Penalty Policy apply to offences committed on or after 1 May 2026.

Prediction: how could tighter HMO controls affect landlords, tenants and communities?

If the new Article 4 directions are confirmed, landlords and investors will face a planning hurdle before converting family homes into small HMOs in the designated areas, which could slow the rate of new small HMOs and shift investment towards properties outside the controlled zones or towards larger HMOs that already require permission. For existing HMO operators, the emphasis on evidence and continuous use may increase the importance of robust documentation when seeking certificates of lawfulness, as recent appeals have shown.

For tenants, a more managed pipeline of new HMOs could reduce sudden spikes in concentration but may also tighten supply in high-demand areas, potentially affecting rents and availability for students and key workers who rely on shared housing. For communities, the ability to assess cumulative impacts on parking, waste services and local facilities could help stabilise neighbourhood character, though the ultimate effect will depend on how strictly planners apply the new tests and how quickly the consultation and confirmation process concludes.