Astor Place · Borough Intelligence

Westminster HMO & Article 4 planning

8884 applications in the last 12 months · Current to 24 September 2026 via the council's own planning portal. · Analysis updated 20 Sep 2026 · Low confidence

Grade – 8884 apps (12 mo)
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Astor analyst's read

Westminster — 9,042 applications in 12m; high-volume central London market with 10 active A4 directions on record.

Profile

Central London, dense mixed-use heritage stock, conservation-dominated inner city with strong regulatory overlay.

Planning

10 active Article 4 directions in our records (no HMO-specific subset recorded); verify HMO-related designations with council, as our sync may be incomplete.

Deal angle

Insufficient data for a deal read — approval rates and decision timings not available; volume and A4 count alone don't confirm bridging/HMO fit.

ASTOR UNDERWRITING UNIT // AI SYNTHESIS // VERIFY WITH COUNCIL BEFORE ACTING

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Map Article 4 zones (oxblood = HMO-related) · application pins · click for detail
Open full map ↗

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Investment Grade

A: select with confidence · B: selectable with discipline · C: case-by-case · D: avoid unless exceptional

Insufficient data for westminster (8928 apps, 6445 decided).

86%
Approval Rate · 12-mo trend
9.7w
Avg Decision
8884
Apps (12 mo)
Council Profile
Planning stance Unknown — insufficient data
Decision speed Unknown
Article 4 directions (planning.data.gov.uk) 10 directions recorded — commercial PD restrictions apply. Full breakdown ↓
Investment Assessment
HMO viability Unknown — see Article 4 status
Commercial conversion Unknown — Article 4 restrictions apply, see below ↓
Timing outlook by type
Householder
Data unavailable
Change of use
Data unavailable
Major development
Data unavailable
Prior approval
Data unavailable
Application types breakdown
Type Count Decided Approval Avg weeks Risk Investor notes
Other 4940 3555 88% 9.7 unknown
Insufficient data for AI assessment.
Advertisement / Signage 1010 777 79% 7.8 unknown
Insufficient data for AI assessment.
Commercial / Retail / Food & Beverage 908 635 84% 10.8 unknown
Insufficient data for AI assessment.
Listed Building / Heritage 644 511 89% 6.6 unknown
Insufficient data for AI assessment.
Residential Extension / Householder 622 458 80% 13.0 unknown
Insufficient data for AI assessment.
New Build Residential 268 179 81% 11.5 unknown
Insufficient data for AI assessment.
HMO / House in Multiple Occupation 128 76 71% 11.9 unknown
Insufficient data for AI assessment.
Demolition 106 80 84% 13.5 unknown
Insufficient data for AI assessment.
Telecommunications 99 48 92% 9.7 unknown
Insufficient data for AI assessment.
Change of Use 54 28 82% 11.1 unknown
Insufficient data for AI assessment.
Discharge of Condition 48 41 88% 7.4 unknown
Insufficient data for AI assessment.
Prior Approval / Permitted Development 45 31 87% 9.4 unknown
Insufficient data for AI assessment.
Tree Works 25 9 67% 6.2 unknown
Insufficient data for AI assessment.
Lawful Development Certificate 21 12 92% 9.6 unknown
Insufficient data for AI assessment.
New Build Commercial / Industrial 7 4 100% 18.6 unknown
Insufficient data for AI assessment.
Mixed Use Development 3 1 0% 3.9 unknown
Insufficient data for AI assessment.
Analyst notes & data quality
Run after more applications have been scraped and decided.

HMO Requirements in Westminster

What it takes to run a House in Multiple Occupation in Westminster — 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 Westminster ↗ · Article 4 directions ↗

01 · Planning permission
No HMO Article 4 in our records

No HMO Article 4 direction in our records for this borough. Where no direction applies, converting a home to a small HMO (C4, up to six occupants) is usually permitted development — but coverage can be incomplete, so verify with the council before relying on this.

See the full Article 4 picture below ↓
02 · Licence to operate
Mandatory HMO licence National
5 or more occupants forming 2 or more separate households

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.

No Additional or Selective licensing scheme in our records for Westminster. Many boroughs operate schemes that extend licensing to smaller HMOs or all rented homes, and these change on five-year cycles — check the council's current designation via the gov.uk licence finder ↗.
03 · Minimum room sizes
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
Kitchen, bathroom & WC standards

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 Westminster Council before relying on this. gov.uk: HMO licences ↗

Article 4 Directions in Westminster planning.data.gov.uk

Commercial to residential (Class MA / Prior Approval)
Fast-track Prior Approval route is blocked — full planning permission required.
certain designated areas Relevant to: developer, investor
Change of Use / PDR (2)
These 2 directions each apply to a specific designated area — not the whole borough. Check if your property falls within one.
Article 4 Direction Class E To C3 In Central Activities Zone since 2022
Commercial to Residential (Class MA)
Converting commercial premises (Class E: offices, retail, cafés, light industrial) to homes requires full planning permission — the fast-track Prior Approval route is blocked here.
Relevant to: developer, investor
Commercial / Employment Zone Designation
This direction applies to a designated commercial or employment area (such as an industrial estate, employment land, town centre, or retail zone). It restricts permitted development rights within that commercial zone and has no effect on residential property.
Relevant to: developer
View direction document ↗
Article 4 Direction Class E To C3 Out Central Activity Zone since 2021
Commercial to Residential (Class MA)
Converting commercial premises (Class E: offices, retail, cafés, light industrial) to homes requires full planning permission — the fast-track Prior Approval route is blocked here.
Relevant to: developer, investor
Commercial / Employment Zone Designation
This direction applies to a designated commercial or employment area (such as an industrial estate, employment land, town centre, or retail zone). It restricts permitted development rights within that commercial zone and has no effect on residential property.
Relevant to: developer
View direction document ↗
Other Restrictions (8)
These 8 directions each apply to a specific designated area — not the whole borough. Check if your property falls within one.
ASTOR UNDERWRITING UNIT // WESTMINSTER // DATA SYNC: ACTIVE // PORTAL: VERIFIED  // ANALYSIS: 20 SEP 2026