New planning restrictions have been proposed in a city where shared housing supply is already “extremely constrained”, and rental costs are rocketing.
8th Jan 20260 824 1 minute read Simon Cairnes
Bristol City Council has launched a consultation on extending Article 4 Directions that will restrict the creation of new HMOs in a city with a big student population and where there is already a chronic shortage of shared accommodation.
The proposal is to remove permitted development rights for small houses in multiple occupation, meaning landlords will need planning permission to convert a family home for use by three to six unrelated tenants.
We’ll take into account all comments made when deciding whether to confirm the new Article Four directions.”
The Council says the changes aim to give planners more control over the proliferation of HMOs in suburbs across Bristol and has linked higher concentrations of shared housing to issues such as parking, waste provision and their adverse effects on neighbourhood balance.
It has, though, promised: “We’ll take into account all comments made when deciding whether to confirm the new Article Four directions.”
However, demand for shared housing is especially high in Bristol because of the scale of its student population and the ongoing expansion of its universities. HMOs therefore play a central role in the city’s private rented sector.
High demandAccording to data published by Bristol Students’ Union, around 30,000 students are currently competing for homes in Bristol’s private rented market, and average rents are rising by 12.9% a year, in what is now the most expensive city to rent outside London.
If approved, the new Article 4 Directions will cover additional neighbourhoods, including parts of Brislington, Frome Vale, Purdown, Southmead and Horfield, St George and Westbury Park from 2027.
The consultation runs from 17 December 2025 to 29 January 2026.
Tagsarticle four direction 8th Jan 20260 824 1 minute read Simon Cairnes Share Facebook X LinkedIn Share via Email