Another council has pledged to drive up standards for tenants in privately rented homes while working to introduce measures to further regulate HMOs.

Gravesham council in Kent already operates the national mandatory HMO licensing scheme and at the end of March 2026, there were 107 licensed HMOs in Gravesham, with a further 14 license applications being considered.

The authority receives on average five reports of suspected unlicensed HMOs a month, and while not all will be found to fall into that category, as of the end of March it was investigating 18 such properties.

Currently in Gravesham, residential properties can be converted into small HMOs without planning permission.

But now the council says it’s seeking the adoption of an Article 4 Direction which would see all such conversions requiring planning permission.

A spokesperson says: “We have been working behind the scenes towards the adoption of an Article 4 Direction for a number of months.

“… Undertaking Article Four directions  is not a quick process but once in place such a direction means we will be able to control the location and concentration of HMOs to protect the character and amenities of local neighbourhoods, environmental quality, and public health.

“It will be another important tool in our armoury to ensure there are decent homes for everyone in the borough.”

Article Four directions remove permitted development rights from HMO’s which allow small HMO’s to be established without planning permission and ensure moving forward that all HMO’s require planning permission from the local planning authority.