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What is Use Class C4?
Last verified 31 October 2026
Use Class C4 is the planning use class for a dwellinghouse used by not more than six residents as a house in multiple occupation. HMO has the same meaning as in section 254 of the Housing Act 2004.
Why it matters to landlords
Planning and licensing are separate systems. A small HMO may need no mandatory HMO licence and still sit in Class C4 for planning. A buyer who lets a house to three sharers should check the planning use before the first tenant moves in, not afterwards.
The Use Classes Order says that changing from one purpose to another within the same class is not treated as development. That protection does not tell you what happens when you move between classes, such as from a family home in Class C3 to a Class C4 HMO. Put that question to the council's planning team in writing before you convert, and ask whether any local rules apply to the street. Do not rely on the answer to a licensing question as an answer to a planning one. The same classes are used for England; the order has separate wording for Wales on some classes.
Example
Imran is buying a four-bedroom terraced house in Sheffield to let to four unrelated sharers. The sellers have always let it to one family. Before exchange he emails the planning team to ask whether the house is currently Class C3 or C4 and whether a change needs permission, and keeps the reply with his purchase records.
Related terms
- Use Class C3
- Article 4 direction
- HMO (House in Multiple Occupation)
- Mandatory HMO licensing
- Additional licensing