Article 4 by council › Leeds
HMO Article 4 in Leeds
Do you need planning permission to turn a family home into a small HMO in Leeds? What the council's own direction says, with dates, the map and the source.
Yes, in the areas Leeds has published.
Leeds has published 1 Article 4 direction area to the national planning dataset, 1 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.
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 Leeds
Mandatory HMO licence: 5 or more people forming 2 or more households sharing facilities.
Additional licensing: none found. Council HMO licensing page describes mandatory licensing (5 or more occupants) only; no additional scheme mentioned on the HMO or selective licensing pages
Selective licensing: yes, named areas: parts of Armley, Beeston and Holbeck, Burmantofts and Richmond Hill, Hunslet and Riverside, Gipton and Harehills, and Farnley and Wortley wards (from 9 February 2026).
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: planning.data.gov.uk Article 4 direction areas, gov.uk HMO licensing. Indicative; confirm with the council before you offer.