Kerbio
Guides · Research · Updated 2026-10-11

Checking HMO Article 4 online? 79 councils are missing from the government's data

In an Article 4 area you need planning permission to turn a house into an HMO. Many tools check the government's planning database for this, but 79 of the 126 councils with an HMO Article 4 haven't put it there, including Manchester, Nottingham, Brighton and Portsmouth. So a tool can say "no Article 4" when there is one.

Check your postcodeSee the full list
63% missing 79 not in the national data 47 are
79councils with an HMO Article 4 missing from the national data
39of them cover the whole borough
69publish no Article 4 data at all to the national platform
7,578Article 4 areas in the national dataset, checked 2026-10-11
We've already checked every council.

Type a postcode and see in seconds whether it's inside an HMO Article 4 area, including the 79 councils missing from the national data. Free, no sign-up.

Check your postcode

Why it matters

1
Tools read the national data.

Maps, apps and property tools that use planning.data.gov.uk show no HMO Article 4 in these councils, because the councils haven't published it there.

2
Buying on a wrong answer is expensive.

Inside an HMO Article 4 area, converting a family house to a small HMO needs planning permission. Buy expecting to convert without it, and you may be refused or face enforcement.

3
Big HMO markets are affected.

Manchester, Nottingham, Brighton and Portsmouth all have borough-wide HMO directions, and none appear in the national data.

4
It isn't anyone hiding anything.

The national platform is built up as councils add their data, and many haven't yet. The directions are on the councils' own websites.

Major areas missing

Manchester

Whole borough, in force since 2011

Nottingham

Whole borough

Brighton and Hove

Whole borough, in force since 2020

Portsmouth

Whole borough, in force since 2011

Sheffield

Parts of the area, in force since 2011

Wolverhampton

Whole borough, in force since 2017

Middlesbrough

Whole borough, in force since 2025

Durham

Whole borough, in force since 2026

Croydon

Whole borough, in force since 2020

Ealing

Whole borough, in force since 2025

Newham

Whole borough, in force since 2013

Tower Hamlets

Whole borough, in force since 2021

All 79 councils

Each links to our page for that council, with the council's own Article 4 page and the date it came into force. Download as CSV.

Whole borough (39)

Barnsley2021Bolton2025Brighton and Hove2020Chorley2025Lincoln2016Wolverhampton2017Darlington2026Dudley2023Durham2026Hastings2012Bexley2017Bromley2022Croydon2020Ealing2025Harrow2026Merton2026Newham2013Redbridge2019Sutton2025Tower Hamlets2021Manchester2011Middlesbrough2025NottinghamOldham2026Portsmouth2011Ribble Valley2026Greenwich2018South Ribble2026South Tyneside2025Spelthorne2026Swale2026Tameside2025Tendring2013ThanetTrafford2017Walsall2025Warrington2026Wigan2025Worcester

Parts of the area (40)

Arun2023AshfordBassetlaw2020Bath and North East Somerset2013Bedford2020Blackburn with Darwen2023Bournemouth, Christchurch and PooleBroxtowe2022Charnwood2012Cheshire East2021Cheshire West and Chester2013CornwallDerby2025East Staffordshire2023East SuffolkEastbourneHinckley and Bosworth2026HullHyndburn2026Lancaster2021Haringey2013Havering2016Lambeth2025Medway2026North Northamptonshire2024North West Leicestershire2021Preston2012ReadingRugby2025Sheffield2011Somerset2016Sunderland2013TandridgeWakefield2025Warwick2012Welwyn HatfieldWest Lancashire2011West Northamptonshire2020Winchester2016Wyre2026

How we checked

The national data

We downloaded the full planning.data.gov.uk Article 4 dataset on 2026-10-11: 7,578 areas from 117 organisations, almost all councils. 47 councils have at least one area marked as an HMO direction.

Every council's own site

Separately, we read each English council's Article 4 and HMO pages and recorded whether an HMO direction is in force, where, and since when.

The comparison

126 councils have an HMO direction by either source. 79 of them have no area marked as HMO in the national data; 69 publish no Article 4 data there at all.

An area counts as an HMO direction in the national data if it removes the Class L permitted development right or its name or description mentions HMOs, multiple occupation or use class C4. Proposed directions not yet in force are not counted.

Always check the council's own page before you buy. This list shows where the national map is incomplete. It is not a substitute for the council's Article 4 page and boundary map, which is the legal record.

Questions

What is the national Article 4 dataset?

planning.data.gov.uk is the government's planning data platform. Councils add their Article 4 direction areas to it, and many maps, apps and property tools read from it. It is built up over time as councils publish, so it is not yet complete.

Does missing from the dataset mean there is no Article 4?

No. Every council on this list has an HMO Article 4 direction on its own website. If you rely only on the national map or a tool built on it, you could conclude a house is outside an Article 4 area when it is not.

How do I check if a property is in an HMO Article 4 area?

Use a checker that combines the national dataset with councils' own pages, such as the Kerbio postcode checker, and then confirm on the council's own Article 4 page before you buy. For partial directions the exact boundary map matters.

Can I use this data?

Yes. The list is free to use and republish with a link to this page. Download the CSV.

About this research

By Kerbio, a small independent UK tool for property investors. We built it while making our council-by-council Article 4 pages, which combine the national data with each council's own records. Free to use with a link to this page.

Check your postcode
Kerbio Article 4 coverage map

Sources: planning.data.gov.uk Article 4 direction area dataset, downloaded 2026-10-11; councils' own Article 4 and HMO pages, checked September 2026. General information, not planning or legal advice.