Landlords in Harrow, North London, now face stricter planning rules for converting homes into Houses of Multiple Occupancy (HMOs) after the council approved new measures. From June 11, all such conversions require planning permission under an Article 4 direction, reversing previous rules that allowed small-scale changes without consent.
New Rules Target Smaller HMOs
Previously, only HMOs for more than six tenants needed planning permission, though all require a licence to operate. The new directive extends consent requirements to smaller HMOs housing three to six occupants. The council stated it “has a problem” with the proliferation of HMOs and associated issues.
The change aims to address resident complaints including noise, rubbish, antisocial behaviour, and pressure on family-sized housing. Deputy Leader of the Council and Chair of the Planning Committee, Cllr Marilyn Ashton, said: “This is not designed to stop people from converting dwellings into an HMO because we always have to judge planning on a case-by-case basis. … Having said that, a certificate of lawfulness – as long as something is within the tolerances of permitted development – we have to give. It will help us, not refuse all of them because that’s not what it’s designed to do, but it gives us the tools we need to make sure we sift out the ones that are not acceptable.”
Comparison with Other Boroughs
Between 2021 and 2025, Harrow Council decided on 126 HMO applications and refused 38 – a refusal rate of 30 per cent, according to Planning Lens’s ‘The HMO Squeeze’ report. In contrast, Croydon, operating under the same national rules and housing pressure, refused 66 per cent of HMO applications. Both boroughs approve similar proportions of all planning applications (79 per cent in Harrow, 81 per cent in Croydon), indicating the divergence is specific to HMOs.
Planning consultant Mark Broome said: “Harrow is almost the mirror image of Croydon. It refused under a third of the HMO applications it decided, where Croydon refused two thirds. Same national rules, same housing pressure, completely different instincts from the two councils. That variation between neighbouring London boroughs is the real story.”
Immediate Effect and Resident Support
The changes came into effect immediately on June 12 after the proposal was signed off. Cllr Ashton added: “This decision is about protecting family homes and preserving the character of our borough. It will help ensure shared housing is provided in the right places and to the right standards. Residents have often told us about some of their issues and concerns they have and we’ve listened. This is a significant step that puts residents first and gives us stronger powers to manage the impact of smaller HMOs.”
