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Article 4 by council › West Berkshire

HMO Article 4 in West Berkshire

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

Not confirmed. The West Berkshire council page could not be read.

Council site returned HTTP 403 on every fetch (Article 4 directions page and Article 4 data page). Search snippets of the council page describe the general framework only, with no HMO direction mentioned, but this could not be confirmed. Use the postcode checker below, which asks the national planning dataset for the exact point, and confirm with the council.

Council pagewww.westberks.gov.uk/article4directionsNational dataset9 direction areas published, 0 for HMOsChecked28 September 2026

Council site returned HTTP 403 on every fetch (Article 4 directions page and Article 4 data page). Search snippets of the council page describe the general framework only, with no HMO direction mentioned, but this could not be confirmed.

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