Article 4 (1) direction on small HMOs

We have withdrawn permitted development rights from certain HMOs.

We have withdrawn permitted development rights for Houses in Multiple Occupation (HMOs). A small HMO is where between three and six unrelated people share basic amenities, such as a kitchen or bathroom.

There are two Article 4 Directions covering the whole borough. The first direction covers Lewisham's Southern Wards (old ward boundaries) and has been in force since 7 March 2020. The second direction covers the remainder of the borough and came into force on 19 January 2024. Further details and associated documents for both directions can be found below.

Why we have brought in this change

We want to better manage the impact and standard of small HMOs in Lewisham.

We also want to avoid over concentrations of HMOs within any particular area.

The Article 4 Direction sits alongside other Council measures to improve the standard of HMOs within the borough including the HMO licensing scheme, where most HMO’s irrespective of size now require a license.

What the directions mean

The effect of the Article 4 Direction is that permitted development rights to change any dwelling house (C3) located with the borough into a HMO (C4) do not apply and planning permission is required.

The new Lewisham Local Plan (proposed submission version) will replace our existing Core Strategy and Development Management Policies and takes a more thorough and stringent policy approach to HMOs.

Policy HO8 Houses of with shared facilities (Houses of Multiple Occupation) states that permission for new HMOs will only be granted where an application does not result in the loss of existing family housing suitable for family accommodation, which includes the following considerations:

location in a residential street or area
number, size and layout of individual rooms and bedrooms
amenity space including access to private gardens

HMOs must contribute to inclusive and mixed neighbourhoods and not result in a harmful overconcentration.

In addition, any proposal for an HMO will only be permitted where the gross original internal floorspace of the original property is a minimum of 130 square metres. This means that proposals cannot reply on extensions (such as rear and roof extensions) to reach the 130 square metres minimum requirement.

If the application meets these criteria, the conversion from a single-family dwelling house to a small HMO may be deemed acceptable, assessed alongside any other relevant policies.

An Article 4 Direction does not mean an application for a small HMO would be automatically refused and is not a ban on this form of accommodation.

The Direction came into force on 7 March 2020.

You can download a copy of the Article 4 (1) Directions for the borough, including a map defining the area and associated documents, using the links below:

Published on: 22/07/2025