Article 4 by council › Portsmouth
HMO Article 4 in Portsmouth
Do you need planning permission to turn a family home into a small HMO in Portsmouth? What the council's own direction says, with dates, the map and the source.
Yes. The whole of Portsmouth is covered by an HMO Article 4 direction.
whole city (Direction Art 4/HMO/01, C3 to C4) In force since 1 November 2011. Converting a family home (use class C3) to a small HMO of 3 to 6 people (class C4) needs full planning permission anywhere in Portsmouth.
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 Portsmouth
Mandatory HMO licence: 5 or more people forming 2 or more households sharing facilities.
Additional licensing: yes, not stated on fetched page (council search snippet describes it as a city wide scheme).
Selective licensing: could not be verified from the council page.
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: Portsmouth council, planning.data.gov.uk Article 4 direction areas, gov.uk HMO licensing. Indicative; confirm with the council before you offer.