Salford Drylining FAQ
What is the Article 4 Direction for HMOs in Salford?
Salford City Council introduced an Article 4 Direction in 2018 to control the spread of small HMOs in residential areas, particularly in the Salford student-letting corridors around Salford Quays, Ordsall, and parts of Pendlebury and Broughton. It removed permitted development rights for converting a family home (Use Class C3) into a small HMO (sui generis).
What it means in practice:
- Converting a house to a 3-6 bed HMO now requires a full planning application - You cannot rely on the previous "no permission needed" assumption - The application is judged against Salford's HMO SPD (Supplementary Planning Document) policies — typically refused if it would result in more than 10% of properties within 50m being HMOs, or if there is insufficient amenity space, parking, or refuse storage - 5+ tenant HMOs also need a separate HMO licence (Housing Act 2004)
The practical effect is that most Salford landlords now factor in a 3-6 month planning permission lead time before any HMO drylining work begins. The Article 4 Direction does not affect medium or large HMOs (7+ tenants) which have always required planning permission as sui generis use.
We work with Salford landlords and their planning consultants to get the drylining specification right first time, so the HMO licence and planning permission processes run smoothly. Ask us for recommendations of local Salford planning consultants if you don't already have one.