Article 4 by council › Peterborough
HMO Article 4 in Peterborough
Do you need planning permission to turn a family home into a small HMO in Peterborough? What the council's own direction says, with dates, the map and the source.
Yes, in the areas Peterborough has published.
Peterborough has published 108 Article 4 direction areas to the national planning dataset, 1 of them for HMOs. A small HMO of 3 to 6 people needs full planning permission inside those areas. The postcode checker below tests the exact point against them.
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.
Licensing in Peterborough
Mandatory HMO licence: 5 or more people forming 2 or more households sharing facilities.
Additional licensing: yes, whole district (from 26 January 2026), ends 25 January 2031.
Selective licensing: yes, named areas: designated areas within Bretton, Central, East, Fletton and Stanground, Fletton and Woodston, North, Orton Waterville, Park, Paston and Walton, Stanground South wards (from 11 March 2024), ends 10 March 2029.
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: planning.data.gov.uk Article 4 direction areas, gov.uk HMO licensing. Indicative; confirm with the council before you offer.