Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, pursuant to the Answer of 14 October 2024 to Question 6378 on Multiple Occupation, whether her Department has received recent representations from local authorities on the permitted development rights for home owners seeking to covert their properties from C3 to C4 usage.

National permitted development rights allow a C3 dwellinghouse to change use to a House in Multiple Occupation (HMO) with up to 6 occupants (C4) without the need for a planning application.

Local authorities have planning powers to limit any proliferation of HMOs by introducing an ‘Article 4’ direction. There is no need for a local authority to seek permission from the Secretary of State before doing so.

As set out in the response to Question 6378 on 14 October, we will keep permitted development rights under review.