Likely planning route
Planning route review
We will confirm whether an application is required.
- Council
- Not checked
- Occupancy
- 5 people
- Article 4 evidence
- Not checked
HMO change-of-use planning
Know the HMO planning route before you commit.
Check the planning route, Article 4 position and statutory fee.
Managed HMO planning application: £900. No VAT. Statutory and specialist charges are separate.
- Postcode-specific routeArticle 4 and occupancy checked
- Drawings includedExisting and proposed submission plans
- Fully managed applicationPlans, forms and council liaison
Independent application support, not a council or government service.
Your initial planning quote
Your postcode is in your council
This is a postcode-level first check. We confirm the exact address, existing use and proposed occupancy before fixing the route.
Planning application feeCurrent national fee where a full change-of-use application is required
Checking
LetLens managed applicationPlanning review, drawings, statement and submission
£900
Estimated total to budgetApplication fee plus the LetLens fee. LetLens does not add VAT.
Checking
Separate costs Planning Portal, survey and specialist-report charges are not included.
The statutory fee used in this preview is £610 for other changes of use in England from 1 April 2026. A Planning Portal service charge and any council-specific services are separate. Planning Portal fee schedule.
A fully managed application
We handle the work from documents to council decision.
You give us the property information and anything you already hold. We assemble, prepare and manage the planning application from there.
Check your postcode- 01
Gather every required document
We review what you hold, confirm the planning history, identify the supporting evidence and separate any third-party survey or specialist costs.
- 02
Complete all application forms
We prepare the change-of-use application and the information required for a valid submission.
- 03
Finalise all required drawings
We prepare the existing and proposed floor plans, location plan and site plan.
- 04
Submit and deal with the council
We lodge the application, handle validation and respond to routine officer questions and follow-up.
Licensing is not planning
One approval never silently stands in for the other.
An HMO licence and planning permission are separate decisions made under different rules. The landing page keeps them distinct while showing when both may be needed.
- Article 4 is checked against the postcode evidence LetLens holds.
- Seven or more occupants are treated as a large-HMO planning question.
- Unresolved boundaries are flagged for address-level review, not guessed.
Common questions
Before you apply for HMO planning permission
Do I need planning permission for an HMO?
A change from a house in use class C3 to a small HMO in class C4 can be permitted development, unless an Article 4 direction or planning condition has removed that right. A large HMO generally needs planning permission.
What does an HMO Article 4 direction do?
It can remove the permitted-development right to change a dwellinghouse into a small HMO in the area it covers. It does not itself grant or refuse an application.
Are the architectural drawings included?
The proposed service scope shown here includes the standard existing and proposed plan set, location and site plans needed for a typical change-of-use submission. Any unusual surveys or specialist reports are quoted separately.
How long does a planning application take?
The council controls determination time. We can prepare and submit the package, but we do not promise the council's timetable or the outcome.
Does planning permission replace the HMO licence or PRS registration?
No. Planning permission, property licensing and PRS Database registration are separate requirements. A property can need all three. You can check its PRS Database registration deadline by postcode.
What should I prepare for the separate HMO licence?
The HMO licence application guide has a printable checklist for the people, floor plan, property details and certificates councils commonly request.
Where can I compare HMO Article 4 restrictions across England?
The LetLens 2026 HMO and Article 4 dataset covers all 296 English councils, including whether a direction applies across all or only part of each council.
Start with the useful answer