CIVIC chiefs have approved a clampdown on shared homes in Southampton.

Tough new rules will be welcomed by residents who feel their neighbourhoods have been taken over by students, but landlords said they could hit people on lower income.

Measures approved yesterday mean only 10 per cent of properties 40 metres of a proposed shared home would be allowed to be a HMO, as opposed to the current 20 per cent.

Labour leader of Southampton City Council, Simon Letts, said: "HMOs are a necessary part of our housing, particularly with the costs of housing.

"They are important for young people coming out of university, young people in university sharing properties just so they can make their pay packets work for them. It's a balanced approach - not banning HMOs, but controlling them where we can."

The council agreed to monitor the situation and look to York for inspiration on how to handle rising student numbers.