HMO Additional Licensing Scheme
On 17 August 2022 and following 2 rounds of 10 week consultations, the council has designated an area in York comprising of 8 electoral ward boundaries, where HMOs (Houses in Multiple Occupation) with 3 or 4 tenants who form more than one household will be subject to an Additional Licensing Scheme.
HMOs that meet certain criteria in these wards will require Additional Licensing from 1 April 2023.
For more information about how the council made this decision, view the report submitted to the council's Executive on 28 July. Minutes and agenda for the meeting are also available.
Copies of the designation and public notice of the scheme can also be viewed online.
A 'House in Multiple Occupation (HMO)' is a house that contains 3 or more unrelated occupants who share basic amenities.
We've found that the distribution of HMOs needs to be controlled to ensure communities do not become imbalanced with this type of housing.
The Article 4 Direction in relation to Houses in Multiple Occupation means that planning permission is needed for 'change of use' for houses within the main urban area of York if they change from 'a dwelling house' (Use Class C3) to a 'House in Multiple Occupation' (Use Class C4).
The Controlling the Concentration of Houses in Multiple Occupation Draft 'Supplementary Planning Document' (SPD) provides guidance on how planning applications for this type of development will be determined. The Supplementary Planning Document (SPD) is a 'material consideration' when determining HMO planning applications - download our frequently asked questions for further information.
Properties which contain five or more people may also require a HMO Licence.
Background to HMO Supplementary Planning Document
HMOs represent a significant and growing proportion of the mix of housing in York. They make an important contribution to York’s housing offer, providing flexible and affordable accommodation for students and young professionals, alongside low-income households who may be economically inactive or working in low-paid jobs.
The purpose of the HMO Supplementary Planning Document (SPD) is to continue to provide HMO accommodation to meet the city’s housing needs, but to manage the supply of new HMOs to avoid high concentrations in a particular area.
As part of the background work to creating the SPD, maps showing city-wide concentrations of HMOs and areas where over 10% of residential properties are HMOs are updated each year to provide a guide to where current high concentrations of HMO exist.
More detailed work identifying neighbourhood areas and undertaking street level assessments is carried out when we deal with planning applications for new HMOs.
Further information about HMOs
See further information on Supplementary Planning Documents and Houses in Multiple Occupation regulations.
Refer to our pre-application advice service which provides answers to common building and development enquiries, and guidance on fees.