HMO planning trends
The HMO (house in multiple occupation) planning index stands at 385: almost four times its 2016 share, and the highest it has been since 2016.
HMO applications since 2016
HMO applications in every 10,000 planning applications, over the 12 months to each month
How this is measuredA step up from 2023
Applications held between 4,246 and 5,177 a year from 2017 to 2022, then rose to 6,678 in 2023 and 8,545 in 2025. Councils refused 27.9% of those received from 2016 to 2024 and decided, against 11.3% for all applications.
North West highest, Scotland lowest
From 2023 to 2025 the North West had 281 HMO applications in every 10,000, against 160 across the UK. Scotland had the fewest, 25. Its use classes order has no HMO class, and licensing covers shared houses. Liverpool leads councils with 2,626 since 2016.
Q3 2026 against a year earlier
Councils received 2,085 HMO applications in Q3 2026: 203 in every 10,000 applications, against 196 in Q3 2025, a share of all applications 3% higher than a year earlier.
HMO applications each quarter
2,085 in Q3 2026, against 2,145 a year earlier.
Out of every 10,000 applications
As a share of every application: 203 in every 10,000 in Q3 2026, against 196 a year earlier.
Where HMO applications concentrate
By region
HMO applications in every 10,000 planning applications, 2023 to 2025
Councils with the most
Applications since 2016
-
Liverpool
North West · 961 in every 10,000 2,626 -
Birmingham
West Midlands · 321 in every 10,000 2,060 -
Portsmouth
South East · 1,547 in every 10,000 1,718 -
Oxford
South East · 800 in every 10,000 1,563 -
Leeds
Yorkshire and Humber · 264 in every 10,000 1,560 -
Enfield
London · 421 in every 10,000 1,441 -
Bristol
South West · 332 in every 10,000 1,243 -
City of Lincoln
East Midlands · 1,999 in every 10,000 1,229 -
Coventry
West Midlands · 541 in every 10,000 1,195 -
Nottingham
East Midlands · 767 in every 10,000 1,187
Latest HMO applications
- 18 North Avenue, North Harrow, Harrow Use of dwelling as a five Bedroom, five Person House in Multiple Occupation (Class C4) (retrospective)
- 24 Queensbury Circle Parade, Kenton, Stanmore, Harrow Certificate of Lawful Existing Development: Use of the dwelling as a HMO for upto 6 people (Use Class C4)
- 122 Tufnell Park Road, London Proposed loft conversion with rear dormer and conversion to 7 bedroom HMO to upper flat.
- The Old Vicarage, Northside Road, Northside Change of use from six-bedroom small HMO (C4) to ten-bedroom large HMO (sui generis)
- 26 Neild Street Oldham Second floor extension and change of use from a dwelling house to a 5 bedroom House in Multiple Occupation (Revision of application FUL/350077/22)
- Chester House Consulting Rooms 238 Chester Road Sunderland Certificate of Lawfulness of Existing Use as a House in Multiple Occupation occupied by between 3 and 6 persons.
How often are they refused?
Of 38,826 received 2016 to 2024 and decided, 27.9% were refused, well above the 11.3% for all applications.
Refusal rate by year
Decisions, applications received 2016 to 2024
- Approved or refused38,826
- Refused27.9%
- Withdrawn before a decision4,081
- All applications11.3% refused
Questions
How many HMO planning applications are there in the UK?
Councils have received 61,395 since January 2016, 8,942 of them in the 12 months to September 2026. Their share of all applications is the highest since 2016.
Where are the most HMO applications being made?
Liverpool, Birmingham and Portsmouth have received the most since 2016.
How often are HMO applications refused?
Of 38,826 received 2016 to 2024 and decided, 27.9% were refused, well above the 11.3% for all applications.
Does every HMO need planning permission?
No. In England, turning a house into a small HMO of up to six residents is permitted development unless a council has made an Article 4 direction (a council order that removes a permitted development right in an area). In Wales it has needed permission since February 2016. Scotland regulates HMOs mainly through licensing.
About Plota
Plota is the UK's most visited planning search, according to Similarweb. It shows every new planning application from every UK council, read daily from 390 planning registers, with past applications back to 2016 from more than 420 registers, including those of councils since merged. It also covers planning committee decisions, HMO licences and premises licences.
How this is measured
What needs an application
In England a small HMO needs planning permission only where a council has made an Article 4 direction. A large HMO, for seven or more people, needs permission everywhere in England.
Methodology
- What is counted: planning applications to UK councils whose description names HMOs or a close variant of the words, by the date each council received them. These are planning applications, not completed schemes; the largest energy and infrastructure projects are consented nationally rather than by councils, so they sit outside these counts.
- How matches are checked: we read the 200 most recent HMO applications and 20 from every year since 2016 to confirm each one belongs.
- Topic counts leave out, by design, works to trees and applications that only discharge conditions, amend an earlier permission or approve reserved matters, which follow a scheme already counted. Everything else is counted.
- A share is the number out of every 10,000 applications over the previous 12 months. Each topic is a number in every 10,000 planning applications, so trends compare when overall planning activity changes; the share still moves when either the topic's count or the total does. The HMO planning index sets the 2016 share at 100, so 200 means twice as common as in 2016.
- Source: the planning registers of every UK council, January 2016 to September 2026, read on 9 November 2026.
- Planning is seasonal, so each quarter is compared with the same quarter a year earlier.
- Year on year: each topic's and theme's share of all applications in Q3 2026, against Q3 2025, at every council we hold. A share is the number in every 10,000 applications. Shares compare across councils and years; raw counts do not.
- Left out of the topic shares: Birmingham's applications from June to September 2026: a validation backlog at the council since June 2026: of 685 reference numbers it issued in September, its register lists 288. The same months a year earlier are left out too, so every comparison covers the same councils.
- Refusals: applications received 2016 to 2024 and decided, at councils whose published decisions pass our checks against their decision notices. Approvals and refusals count; withdrawals do not. "All applications" means every decision of that kind at the same councils over the same years. Applications received from 2025 are added once most are decided.
- Download the data (CSV): every topic and theme, each quarter since 2016.
Sources
- In England, change of use from a dwellinghouse to a small HMO (Class C4) is permitted development under Class L, so permission is needed only where an Article 4 direction withdraws that right. legislation.gov.uk
- Wales created a Class C4 for HMOs of up to six residents, in force 25 February 2016. legislation.gov.uk
- Since 25 February 2016 Welsh permitted development covers only the change from C4 back to C3, so conversion to an HMO needs permission across Wales. legislation.gov.uk
- The Scottish use classes order has no class for houses in multiple occupation. legislation.gov.uk
- Scotland regulates HMOs through mandatory licensing under Part 5 of the Housing (Scotland) Act 2006. legislation.gov.uk