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Article 4 by council › Maidstone

HMO Article 4 in Maidstone

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

Not confirmed. The Maidstone council page could not be read.

maidstone.gov.uk and localplan.maidstone.gov.uk returned HTTP 403 on the Article 4 directions, HMO SPD and HMO licence pages, so no council page could be read. Search snippets from the council site say the council adopted an HMO Supplementary Planning Document on 23 July 2025 rather than an Article 4, and local press (KentOnline) reports no HMO Article 4 exists; the planning.data.gov.uk entry is a 2019 site-specific direction (Maidstone House) with unknown scope. A Class MA (office to residential) Article 4 was reported as made in September 2026, which is not an HMO direction. Use the postcode checker below, which asks the national planning dataset for the exact point, and confirm with the council.

National dataset85 direction areas published, 0 for HMOsChecked28 September 2026

maidstone.gov.uk and localplan.maidstone.gov.uk returned HTTP 403 on the Article 4 directions, HMO SPD and HMO licence pages, so no council page could be read. Search snippets from the council site say the council adopted an HMO Supplementary Planning Document on 23 July 2025 rather than an Article 4, and local press (KentOnline) reports no HMO Article 4 exists; the planning.data.gov.uk entry is a 2019 site-specific direction (Maidstone House) with unknown scope. A Class MA (office to residential) Article 4 was reported as made in September 2026, which is not an HMO direction.

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.

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