Article 4 by council › St Albans City and
HMO Article 4 in St Albans City and
Do you need planning permission to turn a family home into a small HMO in St Albans City and? What the council's own direction says, with dates, the map and the source.
No. St Albans City and had no HMO Article 4 direction in force when checked.
A small HMO of 3 to 6 people is permitted development in St Albans City and, subject to HMO licensing. Checked 28 September 2026.
The council's Article 4 Direction areas page lists four conservation area directions (Verulam and Fishpool Street, Sopwell Lane and Albert Street, Cunningham Avenue, Childwickbury) and fifteen other areas including employment sites and land parcels, covering external alterations and commercial to residential conversions. None is about HMOs or C3 to C4. A third-party search snippet claiming HMO Article 4 coverage in St Albans is not supported by the council page.
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: St Albans City and council, planning.data.gov.uk Article 4 direction areas, gov.uk HMO licensing. Indicative; confirm with the council before you offer.