Merton HMO & Article 4 planning
1431 applications in the last 12 months
Merton — 1,431 applications in 12m; no Article 4 restriction is recorded in our data (verify directly with the local authority) in our records, verify with council on HMO regulation.
Outer South London suburban borough, mixed family homes and lower-density residential stock, stable mid-market character.
no Article 4 restriction is recorded in our data (verify directly with the local authority) recorded in our database; verify directly with Merton Council on HMO-specific or conservation-area restrictions.
1,431 applications annually suggests active market; absence of recorded A4 directions means potential regulatory flexibility, but council verification essential before deal structuring.
ASTOR UNDERWRITING UNIT // AI SYNTHESIS // VERIFY WITH COUNCIL BEFORE ACTING
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HMO Requirements in Merton
What it takes to run a House in Multiple Occupation in Merton — whether you need planning permission, the licence the property must hold, and the statutory minimum room sizes. Verify current details with the council before committing.
Full guides: HMO licensing in Merton ↗ · Article 4 directions ↗
We hold no Article 4 records at all for Merton — no source we read publishes them for this council, which is not the same as there being none. A direction may be in force, so treat this as unknown and check with the council before assuming a conversion is permitted development.
See the full Article 4 picture below ↓Any HMO occupied by five or more people making up two or more separate households (sharing a kitchen, bathroom or toilet) must hold a mandatory HMO licence. This applies in every council in England, regardless of the number of storeys.
| One person aged over 10 | 6.51 m² |
| Two people aged over 10 | 10.22 m² |
| One person aged under 10 | 4.64 m² |
| Any sleeping room | ≥ 4.64 m² |
Licensed HMOs must provide adequate, well-located cooking, washing and toilet facilities for the number of occupants, plus safe gas/electrics, working fire detection and proper waste storage. The exact ratios (occupants per bathroom, per WC, kitchen size) are set by each council in its own HMO amenity standards — confirm the figures with the borough before committing to a scheme.
Minimum room sizes and the mandatory-licensing threshold are national law (Licensing of Houses in Multiple Occupation (Mandatory Conditions of Licences) (England) Regulations 2018), sourced under the Open Government Licence v3 — they apply in every council. Licensing designations shown are those in our records; verify the current position and exact amenity standards with Merton Council before relying on this. gov.uk: HMO licences ↗