Article 4 by council › Durham

HMO Article 4 in Durham

Do you need planning permission to turn a family home into a small HMO in Durham? What the council's own direction says, with dates, the map and the source.

Yes. The whole of Durham is covered by an HMO Article 4 direction.

whole county: county-wide direction in force 17 Aug 2026 covers everything not already inside the earlier directions for Durham City (17 Sep 2016), Framwellgate Moor, Newton Hall and Pity Me (13 May 2017) and Mount Oswald, Carrville and Belmont (14 Jan 2022) In force since 17 August 2026. Converting a family home (use class C3) to a small HMO of 3 to 6 people (class C4) needs full planning permission anywhere in Durham.

Coverswhole county: county-wide direction in force 17 Aug 2026 covers everything not already inside the earlier directions for Durham City (17 Sep 2016), Framwellgate Moor, Newton Hall and Pity Me (13 May 2017) and Mount Oswald, Carrville and Belmont (14 Jan 2022)In force from17 August 2026Made or confirmed17 November 2025Council pagewww.durham.gov.uk/article/2499/Multiple-occupancy-homesMapcouncil mapChecked8 September 2026

Made 4 Aug 2025 (search snippet), confirmed 17 Nov 2025 (council news). Durham City direction PDF: https://www.durham.gov.uk/media/10612/Article-4-Direction-for-HMOs/pdf/Article4HMO.pdf

Check an exact postcode

A direction can cover part of a council, and the national dataset is incomplete. This asks the planning data service for the exact point and falls back to the council's own statement.

Is a postcode inside an HMO Article 4 area?

Licensing in Durham

Mandatory HMO licence: 5 or more people forming 2 or more households sharing facilities.

Additional licensing: none found. Council HMO licensing page describes mandatory licensing only (five or more separate tenants); no additional HMO scheme referenced on HMO or selective licensing pages.

Selective licensing: yes, named areas: designated selective licensing areas across County Durham, about 27 per cent of the county (council states 103 designated areas) (from 1 April 2022), ends 31 March 2027.

Full licensing detail for Durham

What an Article 4 direction means

HMO Article 4 directions remove the permitted-development right to convert a family home (C3) to a small HMO (C4, 3 to 6 people). Inside one, that conversion needs full planning permission. Councils may also run additional licensing (smaller HMOs) or selective licensing (all private rentals) in designated areas. Planning permission and licensing are separate: a licence does not grant planning permission, and permission does not remove the need for a licence.

See this on every listing.Kerbio puts the Article 4 answer, licensing, the council's HMO register and sold prices on the Rightmove, Zoopla or OnTheMarket page itself. Free for 7 days, then £39 a month.

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Sources: Durham council, planning.data.gov.uk Article 4 direction areas, gov.uk HMO licensing. Indicative; confirm with the council before you offer.