Christmas opening times

Find out more about what services are available over the Christmas period including bin collections and the opening times of tips, leisure centres and other facilities.

Christmas opening times

Houses in Multiple Occupation (HMO's)

In this section

  1. What is a HMO?
  2. HMO Enforcement
  3. Mandatory Licensing
  4. HMO Standards
  5. Non Licensed HMO's
  6. Applying for a HMO Licence
  7. Report an Unlicensed HMO
  8. Planning Rules for HMO's
  9. Fees and charges
  10. FAQ's - houses in multiple occupation
  11. Fire Safety for HMO's

Planning Rules for HMO's

When converting any residential house to a house of multiple occupation (HMO) you must apply for planning permission. 

Here are some of the rules below:

  • If you are converting a residential house into an HMO comprising six or fewer persons, you will not need to apply for planning permission for a change of use unless the property has restrictive planning conditions prohibiting such a change. However, if you are doing additional work in order to make the house HMO ready – for example, adding an extension or a new dormer – then planning permission may be required
  • If you are converting a residential house to an HMO comprising seven or more persons, or adding a seventh or greater person to an existing HMO, or providing cooking facilities within the bedrooms, then you will need to apply for change of use.
  • If you are converting a building that was not previously a residential house into an HMO, you may also require change of use. Typical examples of this are former factories, shops, pubs, places of worship, Childrens homes etc. All will require a change of use.

Click here to visit the Planning Portal to view any current planning application and submit comments.

Click here to apply for Planning Permission

Article 4

This is a piece of planning legislation which permits local authorities to require planning permission to be sought for an activity which would not normally require it. Currently, there are no article 4 designations in Stoke-on-Trent which relate specifically to the development of HMOs.

Please note: A property which is currently used for residential purposes and has or is proposed to have less than seven occupants does not require any planning permission.