HMO Licence Checker: Mandatory Licensing Rules + Article 4

Two questions decide whether an HMO plan is viable, and this tool answers both from the data we hold. First, the national mandatory-licensing rule: since October 2018 a property is a mandatory-licensable HMO if it's occupied by five or more people forming two or more separate households sharing facilities. Enter the numbers and we apply the rule. Second, a live Article 4 check on the postcode, because in an Article 4 area you may not be able to create the HMO without full planning permission at all. What we deliberately don't do is guess at council additional or selective licensing schemes: those are set street-by-street and change often, so we signpost you to the right local authority rather than pretend to hold every register. No signup. England & Wales. The £109.90 Investor Pro report ties licensing to 15+ checks on the exact address.

A "household" is one person or members of the same family living together. Five unrelated sharers are five households; a couple plus three friends are four.

England & Wales mandatory-licensing rules + a live Article 4 check. Council additional/ selective schemes are handed off to your local authority below.

This check runs on screen, no signup. The full property report is £9.99 Lite / £24.99 Complete. One report, one price, no subscription.

Cancel for a full refund at any time before your report is emailed. Terms

  • One-off

    No subscription

    Pay once for each report you buy.

  • Named

    Sources & coverage

    Every report names its sources and the checks it could not run.

  • GB

    England, Wales & Scotland

    Coverage varies by nation and source, and is stated.

  • £9.99

    Reports from

    Lite £9.99, Complete £24.99.

From this free check to the full report

The free tool answers one question. The report covers the whole address.

  1. No signup

    Use the free tool

    Run the tool above. The answer shows on this page, with nothing to sign up for.

  2. Before you pay

    Pick the house and the report

    Choose the exact address, then Lite (£9.99) or Complete (£24.99). One-off, no subscription.

  3. Emailed within 24 hours

    Get the full report

    The report for that address is emailed to you, with every source named and any check it could not run stated.

Frequently asked questions

When does a property need a mandatory HMO licence?
Under the national rule (England, since October 2018; Wales applies the same threshold), a property needs a mandatory HMO licence when it's occupied by five or more people forming two or more separate households who share a kitchen, bathroom or toilet. The old '3 or more storeys' condition was removed in 2018, so storeys no longer matter for the mandatory test. Operating a licensable HMO without a licence is a criminal offence.
What counts as a household?
A household is a single person or members of the same family living together, including couples, relatives and cohabiting partners. Five unrelated professionals sharing a house are five households; a couple plus three friends are four households. The mandatory licence is triggered by five or more people across two or more such households.
Do you check my specific council's licensing scheme?
No, and we won't pretend to. Beyond the national mandatory rule, many councils run additional licensing (covering smaller HMOs) or selective licensing (covering all rented homes in a defined area). These are local, frequently changed, and not held in one national register, so we give you the mandatory verdict and the Article 4 position, then point you to your council and the gov.uk HMO licence finder to confirm any local scheme for the exact address.
How does Article 4 affect an HMO licence?
They're separate gates. Article 4 is about planning: whether you're allowed to create the HMO at all without a full planning application. Licensing is about operating it safely once created. In an Article 4 area you can clear every licensing rule and still be blocked, because you couldn't get planning permission to convert. That's why this tool checks both, and why Article 4 is the one to check first.
Does the property need a minimum EPC rating to be let as an HMO?
Yes. Like any private rented home, an HMO generally must have an EPC rating of at least E to be let lawfully, subject to exemptions. The Complete report includes the property's EPC band and floor area alongside the Article 4 and planning position, so you can see the whole picture before you offer.

Check the whole address

Search an address in England, Wales and Scotland, see the available area data, then choose an emailed report for the property.

Type the full address with its postcode to go straight to your report options. Try .

Cancel for a full refund at any time before your report is emailed. Terms

What the report coversThe pre-offer check

Still have a question? We typically respond within 24 hours.

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