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Gloucester City Council HMO Consultations

Gloucester City Council HMO Consultations

Gloucester City Council is asking for your views on proposals to introduce stronger controls on Houses in Multiple Occupation (HMOs) in the city.

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Consultations on proposals relating to Houses in Multiple Occupation in Gloucester:

  • An Additional Licencing Scheme
  • Non-immediate Article 4 Direction

Gloucester City Council is asking for your views on proposals to introduce stronger controls on Houses in Multiple Occupation (HMOs) in the city. These proposals are intended to improve housing conditions, support safer neighbourhoods, and manage the growth, concentration and quality of HMOs in a balanced way.

The Council has commissioned ARK Consultancy to manage the consultation.

We are consulting on two proposals-

A citywide Additional HMO Licensing scheme

This will introduce an Additional Licensing Scheme for HMOs citywide. This would apply to:

  •   Smaller HMOs with 3 or 4 occupants forming two or more households; and,
  •   Section 257 HMOs (poorly converted buildings into self-contained flats that are rented and where the conversion does not meet the standards of the 1991 Building Regulations or later).

Larger HMOs are already covered by the national Mandatory Licensing scheme. The proposed Additional Licensing would extend licensing to all other HMOs so that similar risks are managed consistently.

Non‑immediate Article 4 Direction (selected wards)

This would introduce a non‑immediate Article 4 Direction in the following six wards:

  •   Kingsholm & Wotton
  •   Westgate
  •   Barton & Tredworth
  •   Moreland
  •   Kingsway
  •   Elmbridge

The Article 4 Direction would remove permitted development rights for changing a family dwellinghouse (Use Class C3) into a small shared houses occupied by between three and six unrelated individuals (Use Class C4) in these wards. Planning permission would be required instead, so that the Council can consider the cumulative impact of HMOs on local areas.

Who we want to hear from

We welcome views from anyone with an interest in housing and communities in Gloucester, including:

  • Residents, tenants and community groups
  • Private landlords and letting agents
  • Businesses and employers
  • Community, voluntary and faith organisations
  • Advice agencies and representative bodies

Whether you support, oppose, or have suggestions to improve the proposals, your feedback will help shape the final decision.

Read the full consultation document

You can read the full details of the proposals, the evidence base, and the draft legal notices in the consultation document: [document link]

The document includes:

  • Background and evidence on HMOs, housing conditions, and deprivation in Gloucester
  • Details of the proposed citywide Additional HMO Licensing Scheme
  • Details of the proposed non‑immediate Article 4 Direction and the wards affected
  • Draft Additional Licensing Designation Notice
  • Article 4 Direction Notice
  • Example HMO licence conditions
  • Fit and Proper Persons and Cause for Concern Policy
  • Proposed timetable and next steps

We encourage you to read all the supporting documents before responding to the consultations.

Further information

How to respond

The consultations run for 10 weeks, from 2 March 2026 to 11 May 2026.

You can share your views by:

  • Completing the online survey on the proposal for Additional HMO Licensing [Link]
  • Completing the online survey on the proposal for a non-immediate Article 4 Direction on HMOs [Link]
  • Sending a written response to Gloucesterhmo@arkconsultancy.co.uk
  • Attending the public consultation meetings on the 15 April at either 2-4pm or 5-7pm at the Civic Suite, North Warehouse; The Docks; Gloucester; GL1 2FB. Each meeting will discuss both proposals.
  • Joining an online event [details to be published]
  • The proposals will also be discussed at the Gloucester landlord’s forum on the 2 April at the Guildhall on Eastgate Street. For more details please see Gloucester City Landlord Forum Tickets, Thursday, Apr 2 from 10 am to 4 pm | Eventbrite

We invite comments on:

  • The proposal for a citywide Additional HMO Licensing Scheme;
  • HMO Licensing standards, conditions and fees;
  • The proposal for a non‑immediate Article 4 Direction in selected wards;
  • The evidence base supporting both proposals; and
  • The potential impacts on residents, landlords, communities, and businesses.

All responses and representations will be considered before any final decisions are made.

Key dates

  • Consultation period: March – May 2026
  • Review of consultation responses: May 2026
  • Decision on Additional Licensing Scheme: May 2026
  • Decision to confirm Article 4 Direction: May 2026
  • Publication of Article 4 Confirmation Notice: May 2026
  • Launch of Additional HMO Licensing statutory publicity for 3 months: May 2026 
  • Licence early application period: May – August 2026
  • Launch of Additional HMO Licensing Scheme (if approved): August 2026
  • Article 4 Direction comes into force (if confirmed): 3rd March 2027