Three Rivers District Council is preparing a new Article 4 direction to remove automatic planning rights for smaller HMOs after reporting a rise in potential new shared homes over the past five months.
The proposed move would mean landlords wanting to switch a property to a small HMO for up to six occupants would need planning permission in future. The council said the direction will now go out to consultation and, if confirmed, would take effect after 12 months.
For landlords, that matters now because another local authority is moving from licensing alone to tighter planning control, making HMO expansion harder even before any application reaches the enforcement stage.
Article 4 plan would bring smaller HMOs into planning system
Under current rules, many smaller HMOs can be created without a full planning application. Three Rivers said it now has enough evidence to justify an Article 4 direction after seeing more potential HMO activity in recent months.
The council says the change is meant to manage concentration, housing mix and neighbourhood character. For landlords, the practical effect is simple: a route that used to sit inside permitted development would become a formal planning decision.
This follows Landlord Knowledge’s Luton Council starts landlord licensing from 1 June after court defeat, which showed councils are still reaching for Article 4 powers to control shared housing growth. The latest proposal suggests that trend is widening beyond the largest student and city markets.
Landlords face a longer runway before HMO conversions
If the direction is confirmed, investors would need to factor planning risk into any acquisition or conversion strategy in Three Rivers rather than assume a smaller HMO can proceed by right.
That does not amount to a ban on HMOs, but it does slow the process, adds uncertainty and creates more room for local objections. In practice, that can change what landlords are willing to pay for suitable stock and how quickly they are prepared to move.
The proposal also fits a broader pattern in which councils are using planning tools alongside licensing to shape local rental supply. Landlords considering this part of Hertfordshire should read the council’s consultation material carefully before making assumptions on yield or exit timings. More detail is on Gravesham moves toward Article 4 controls for small HMOs and the council’s consultation pages are here.
What this means for landlords
- If you’re buying for HMO conversion: check whether your timeline still works if planning consent becomes mandatory.
- Watch for: consultation dates, boundary maps and any evidence threshold the council uses to justify the direction.
- If you already operate HMOs locally: review how tighter planning rules could affect future expansion and comparable values.
- Bottom line: Article 4 risk is spreading, and landlords need to price it in earlier.
Editor’s view
Smaller HMOs remain one of the few routes to stronger yields in many areas, which is exactly why councils keep targeting them. Landlords should treat Article 4 consultations as an investment event, not a planning footnote.
Author: Editorial Team – UK landlord & buy-to-let news, policy, and finance
Published: 05 June 2026
Sources: Three Rivers District Council
Related reading: Gravesham moves toward Article 4 controls for small HMOs
