Peterborough City Council has joined a local authority lobby group demanding more power from the government to control the growth of 'houses in multiple occupation' (HMOs).

 

The HMO lobby group has already succeeded in putting the issue of student accommodation into a government consultation document covering the supply of rented housing.  Now, though, city councillors are aiming to push for the issue to be widened to include all cases of HMOs.

 

Council Leader, Councillor John Peach, said:  "Northern Ireland, for example, can use planning law to prevent the conversion of family homes into houses with multiple tenants in inappropriate places.  We believe that power should be made available to the whole of the UK.

 

"It is unacceptable that neighbourhoods that already have high density housing and limited parking space should suffer from additional problems and decline caused by family homes being used by multiple tenants, as is happening in some parts of Peterborough."

 

Councillor John Holdich, Cabinet member for housing, regeneration and economic development, added:  "Many university cities are concerned about the decline of neighbourhoods where large numbers of students have shared accommodation in traditional houses.

 

"However, Peterborough along with other places that have attracted large numbers of economic migrants has experienced increasing cases of HMOs.  Established residents are naturally concerned that HMOs can damage the quality of their neighbourhoods.  With higher numbers of occupants these houses often generate more rubbish.  Gardens are often left untidy and the occupants may also create parking problems in the street."

 

Under the 2004 Housing Act owners of HMOs have a legal obligation to licence the properties if they are three or more storeys high and house five or more residents.  However, Peterborough City Council can require owners of smaller HMOs to licence because it previously operated a licensing system of its own.

 

"By joining this lobby group we hope to influence government policy to give local authorities greater power to manage HMOs so that local communities are protected from any negative impact."

 

A seminar on the 'studentification' of neighbourhoods through the concentration of houses in multiple occupation will be hosted by Nottingham City Council on 1 February 2007.  For more information about the HMO lobby group visit www.hmolobby.org.uk.