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For planning purposes houses in multiple occupation (HMO) fall within planning use class C4. A House in Multiple Occupation (HMO) is described as a house occupied by between three and six unrelated individuals. It is their only or main residence and they share basic amenities such as a kitchen or bathroom.
Where more than 6 people share a property, this would full into use class Sui generis.
Planning permission
Where more than 6 people share a property, planning permission will always be required.
Some changes of use are considered permitted development. These are covered by the General Permitted Development Order (GDPO). This means planning permission is not always required. However, there are some circumstances where permitted development does not apply. You can find out more on our do I need planning permission page under permitted development.
Do I need planning permission?
As well as this there are also Article 4’s in place which remove permitted development rights and restrict changes of use to HMO. This means you'll have to apply for planning permission if you want to change a house (C3) to a small HMO (C4). Visit our Article 4 page for more information.