Article 4 by council › Hartlepool
HMO Article 4 in Hartlepool
Do you need planning permission to turn a family home into a small HMO in Hartlepool? What the council's own direction says, with dates, the map and the source.
No. Hartlepool had no HMO Article 4 direction in force when checked.
A small HMO of 3 to 6 people is permitted development in Hartlepool, subject to HMO licensing. Note: A non-immediate Article 4 direction made on 24 September 2025 covering the whole council area except Hartlepool Development Corporation land will, if confirmed by Full Council, come into force on 1 December 2026; representations closed 23 January 2026 and no confirmation was found on the council site. Checked 28 September 2026.
Council consultation page: the direction 'applies to land within the administrative area of the Council but excludes land designated within the administrative area of the Hartlepool Development Corporation'; 'If Full Council confirms the Direction, it will come into force on 1 December 2026'. Not yet in force, so recorded as none with the made direction in proposed. Public notice: https://www.hartlepool.gov.uk/downloads/file/1181/hbc-hmo-public-notice.
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: Hartlepool council, planning.data.gov.uk Article 4 direction areas, gov.uk HMO licensing. Indicative; confirm with the council before you offer.