Houses In Multiple Occupation (HMO)

A House in Multiple Occupation (HMO) is:

• a property occupied by 3 or more residents from 2 or more households.

In Darlington, an Article 4(1) Direction for HMO’s will come into place on the 28 July 2026.  This will help control the amount and location of HMO’s in the Borough.

Confirmed Article 4 Direction [pdf document]

Notice of Confirmation [pdf document]

What it means

From 28 July 2026, all HMOs within the Borough will require planning approval, not just larger developments.

Under previous legislation, houses could be converted into small HMOs for between 3 and 6 residents without the need for planning permission.  This is no longer the case and an application will need to be submitted for all HMO schemes.

HMO Guidance [pdf document]

Further advice on how to submit your planning application can be viewed on the Pre-application service or Making a Planning Application online webpages.