Landlords warn against tougher HMO rules

Durham City has already increased planning requirements for HMOs

Council plans to restrict new houses in multiple occupation (HMOs) will distort the housing market, the National Residential Landlords Association (NRLA) claims.

Reform-run Durham County Council is looking to implement an authority-wide Article 4 Direction, meaning all new HMOs would need planning permission.

NRLA said the move could "lead to an artificial [housing] shortage, driving up rents and causing overcrowding in remaining HMOs".

The council said that, following a steady increase in HMOs over the past few years, the move was necessary to control the amount of shared properties and to "help us maintain a better distribution of mixed and balanced communities across the county".

Current rules in England allow owners to convert a home into an HMO for up to six people without needing planning permission.

Article 4 regulations, which are already in place in limited student areas in Durham City, would require all properties, including in rural parts of the county, to seek permission.

'Family housing'

The NRLA warned the availability of a "crucial housing option" for young professionals, low-income renters, migrant workers and students would be reduced.

It also said it was unusual for an Article 4 direction to be implemented in rural areas which "often face housing shortages, especially for young adults or low-income individuals".

The body also warned that the council's workload would increase as more landlords required planning permission.

But councillor Nicola Lyons said an over-concentration of HMOs can have a "negative impact" on communities.

"Often this is due to noise, parking, waste disposal, anti-social behaviour and more long-term implications such as the loss of family housing," she said.

Lyons added that the local authority already had three Article 4 Directions "which ensure all applications in those areas must go through a full planning application process with associated costs".

Durham University students' union president Abigail Taylor said the prospect of a county-wide Article 4 direction "wasn't worrying" because there was an adequate amount of student accommodation, even with the regulations in Durham City.

"The frustration for us is that the council seems to be focusing on the expansion of HMOs rather than the quality of the housing stock currently, which is our primary issue," she said.

Proposals to introduce an Article 4 Direction for the whole authority area from August 2026 was approved in principle by the cabinet in July and a public consultation closes later ahead of a final decision later this year.

Nearby Darlington Council introduced a borough-wide Article 4 Direction in July.