Landlords in Burslem deal with Stoke-on-Trent City Council for licensing, planning and housing standards. We keep those three in view together, so a layout that suits the licence also works for planning and building control.
We'll tell you plainly if a house in Burslem isn't suited to the number of rooms you have in mind, and what it would take to make it work.
HMO rules in Stoke-on-Trent City Council
| Rule | Stoke-on-Trent City Council |
|---|---|
| Mandatory HMO licence (5+ people) | In force everywhere in England |
| Additional HMO licensing | Proposed A citywide scheme was proposed in August 2026, subject to consultation |
| Selective licensing | Not confirmed |
| Article 4 direction for small HMOs | In force Whole city, immediate direction from 23 October 2026. It lapses unless the council confirms it within six months |
Checked October 2026 against Stoke-on-Trent City Council's HMO licensing page. Schemes change, so we confirm the position for your address before any work starts.
Stoke-on-Trent City Council has an Article 4 direction across its whole area, so turning a family house in Burslem into a small HMO needs planning permission. This is an immediate direction that took effect on 23 October 2026 and lapses unless the council confirms it within six months. We prepare the planning application before any conversion work starts. Seven or more occupants always needs planning permission. Stoke-on-Trent City Council proposed a citywide additional licensing scheme in August 2026, subject to consultation, so smaller HMOs may need a licence in future.
How we handle HMO loft conversion work in Burslem
Plenty of houses have roof space that could hold extra bedrooms, but in Burslem we always measure the headroom first, because floor under a 1.5 m ceiling does not count towards room size. That tells you how many rooms the loft can really add.
A loft room usually creates a third storey, so we plan the protected escape route and alarm upgrades for the whole Burslem house, not just the new floor. We also check the occupant count, because seven or more residents needs planning permission anywhere in Staffordshire.
- Planning and permitted development position checked first
- Headroom survey and countable floor area calculation
- Alarm extended and doors upgraded on lower floors
- Updated floor plans for the licence file
- New staircase and protected escape route
Loft conversions for HMOs near Burslem
- Tunstall under a mile
- Hanley 1.7 miles
- Newcastle-under-Lyme 2.7 miles
- Stoke-on-Trent 2.8 miles
- Fenton 3.3 miles
- Kidsgrove 3.4 miles