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Article 4 by council › Cheltenham

HMO Article 4 in Cheltenham

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

Yes, in the areas Cheltenham has published.

Cheltenham has published 1 Article 4 direction area to the national planning dataset, 2 of them for HMOs. A small HMO of 3 to 6 people needs full planning permission inside those areas. The postcode checker below tests the exact point against them.

National dataset1 direction area published, 2 for HMOsChecked7 September 2026

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 Cheltenham

Mandatory HMO licence: 5 or more people forming 2 or more households sharing facilities.

Additional licensing: none found. Council HMO page states a licence is needed for HMOs occupied by five or more people forming two or more households sharing facilities (mandatory only); no additional scheme mentioned.

Selective licensing: none found. No selective licensing scheme mentioned. Article 4 direction covers St Paul's ward only, effective 2020-06-11 (planning, not licensing).

Full licensing detail for Cheltenham

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.