Article 4 by council › East Cambridgeshire
HMO Article 4 in East Cambridgeshire
Do you need planning permission to turn a family home into a small HMO in East Cambridgeshire? What the council's own direction says, with dates, the map and the source.
No. East Cambridgeshire had no HMO Article 4 direction in force when checked.
A small HMO of 3 to 6 people is permitted development in East Cambridgeshire, subject to HMO licensing. Checked 28 September 2026.
The council's HMO licensing information page makes no mention of an Article 4 direction. A council FOI response (FOI/EIR 25/26-421, December 2025) answered the question on HMO Article 4 directions by pointing to the Conservation areas page, indicating the council's Article 4 directions are conservation-area ones.
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.
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.
Sources: East Cambridgeshire council, planning.data.gov.uk Article 4 direction areas, gov.uk HMO licensing. Indicative; confirm with the council before you offer.