Article 4 by council › Cardiff

HMO Article 4 in Cardiff

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

Not confirmed. The Cardiff council page could not be read.

cardiff.gov.uk pages returned HTTP 403. Council HMO SPG applies a 20% within 50m threshold in Cathays and Plasnewydd, 10% elsewhere. Use the postcode checker below, which asks the national planning dataset for the exact point, and confirm with the council.

CoversWales: there is no permitted development right for C3 to C4, so planning permission is required for any 3-6 person HMO anywhere in the authority since 25 Feb 2016 (WSI 2016/28 Use Classes amendment; WSI 2016/29 permits C4 to C3 only). HMO Article 4 directions are therefore not used in Wales. Third-party sites claim a Cardiff 'Article 4' for Cathays, Plasnewydd and part of Riverside since 26 Sep 2016; not confirmed from a council page (403) and likely conflates the 2016 HMO SPG/licensing areas.Council pagewww.cardiff.gov.uk/ENG/Business/Licences-and-permits/Houses-Checked8 September 2026

cardiff.gov.uk pages returned HTTP 403. Council HMO SPG applies a 20% within 50m threshold in Cathays and Plasnewydd, 10% elsewhere.

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.

Is a postcode inside an HMO Article 4 area?

Licensing in Cardiff

Mandatory HMO licence: 5 or more people forming 2 or more households sharing facilities. Every landlord must also be registered and licensed with Rent Smart Wales.

Additional licensing: yes, Cathays ward (all HMOs); Plasnewydd ward scheme ran 1 Jan 2021 to 31 Dec 2025 and shows no renewal on the licensing page (from 1 February 2023), ends 31 January 2028.

Selective licensing: none found. Wales: every landlord must register and license with Rent Smart Wales.

Full licensing detail for Cardiff

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