Resident groups in Southampton welcome new HMO regulations (From Daily Echo)
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Resident groups in Southampton welcome new HMO regulations
8:10am Thursday 28th January 2010 in
RESIDENTS groups in Southampton have welcomed new powers aimed at halting the transformation of family neighbourhoods into student ‘ghettos’.
Housing Minister John Healey said from April landlords wanting to rent out private dwellings to three or more people will first have to obtain planning permission from the city council.
Under the current rules, consent to change the use of a property – from private dwelling to house of multiple occupation (HMO) – is required only where tenants number six or more.
It is anticipated that councils will take advantage of the change, which follows a consultation, to block the proliferation of shared rented homes in areas like Polygon and Portswood, to curb problems with noise, littering and other anti-social behaviour.
The Department for Communities and Local Government (DCLG) admitted that high concentrations of shared houses can sometimes cause problems but added that the legislative changes will affect only new rental properties. Existing stock, will be exempt.
Councils could also be allowed to impose their own licensing regimes in “hotspot’’ areas to ensure all rented accommodation is safe and kept to a good standard.
Currently, only landlords of three-storey buildings of five tenants or more must apply for an HMO licence.
Southampton Itchen MP John Denham, the Communities Secretary, who has long called for reforms to the HMO regime, said: “When a high proportion of the population of an area changes every year it undermines the strength of the local community and makes homeowners less likely to invest in their homes.
“I've campaigned for these changes, alongside local residents, for years so am delighted they will now be made.’’ Alan Whitehead, Labour MP for Southampton Test, said: “This will be a good deal for everyone in Southampton, not just people looking for family homes but also students, who will benefit from a tougher licensing regime which landlords will find it harder to evade.”
Lorraine Barter from city lobby group Residents Action welcomed the announcement but said it had come “too late” for some areas in Southampton.
The Polygon resident said: “We have been campaigning for this for ten years and it is fantastic to see it actually implemented.
“For some areas such as the Polygon, Portswood and Bevois Valley it is too late – HMOs have ruined the areas.
“But this ruling may save some of the areas of the city with less HMOs such as Highfield from having the same problems.”
Comments(23)
freemantlegirl2
says...
8:45am Thu 28 Jan 10
This is fantastic IF the Council administer it properly. Presently the Housing Department that oversee HMO are letting files pile up, are short staffed, visits take aons, and they have been told to hold a lot of applications for repairs to private houses etc. They don't have the facility to make landlords make their houses of suitable standard etc. I've heard this direct from someone who works there, and I've encouraged them to whistle blow as it isn't acceptable. They are of course worried about being found out and losing their job.
So SCC you need to get your act together, staff the department properly, streamline your systems because you will have your work cut out!
cgutteridge
says...
9:44am Thu 28 Jan 10
We have never had any major problems with the students living in any of these houses. Occasional parties have not been loud into the small hours, and a number of community minded students leave their laptops visible from the street, making our house a less attractive target to burglers.
With the two universities the student population is around 15% of the city. The student halls accommodate maybe 25-30% of the students, the rest have to live somewhere. Any change to the HMO rules must take this into account. Students need to be able to walk or bus into Uni. There's no way to provide parking for them.
TheRealDeal
says...
10:01am Thu 28 Jan 10
Carpe Diem
says...
10:01am Thu 28 Jan 10
What right do they have to tell people who own property who they can or cannot rent to.
What happens when a landlord wants to rent a property to a couple with two kids - does the landlord have to get planning permission ? Pathetic.
Usual scatter-gun approach to a problem that only affects one or two areas in any given city, not just Southampton.
How many more useless rules, regulations and laws is this politically bankrupt government going to force on us before they leave office. They have no power to change or implement laws that will create real change in the country so they have to tinker round the edges with petty legislation like this.
St.DaveH
says...
10:39am Thu 28 Jan 10
hulla baloo
says...
10:42am Thu 28 Jan 10
They will rent the property to only 3 people, who will then have friends to stay, who will make a contribution to their visit.
Easy.
stickymcglue
says...
10:58am Thu 28 Jan 10
Polygonia
says...
11:17am Thu 28 Jan 10
Yes, many students/HMO dwellers are good neighbours to long term residents, the brave ones who stay inthe ghettoes, but there is no reason why students cannot uses buses/bikes to travel to Uni from areas not so close as Polygon , Portswood or Bevois
One can see from the number of empty alcohol bottles in many students front gardens that money for buses fares/bikes could be afforded with a little financial
replanning.
southy
says...
11:30am Thu 28 Jan 10
Carpe Diem wrote:i think they have not gone far enough, they should be treating them has a business too.
Government interference again !
What right do they have to tell people who own property who they can or cannot rent to.
What happens when a landlord wants to rent a property to a couple with two kids - does the landlord have to get planning permission ? Pathetic.
Usual scatter-gun approach to a problem that only affects one or two areas in any given city, not just Southampton.
How many more useless rules, regulations and laws is this politically bankrupt government going to force on us before they leave office. They have no power to change or implement laws that will create real change in the country so they have to tinker round the edges with petty legislation like this.
and if you read what was said in government or even listen to it or even listen to what the uni union has said about it then you might under stand it would not effect familys. the rule will be put down in such away that it will only effect those that are not related.
so another words 2 from the same family and 1 none related would be able to rent in the same way has before.
investments
says...
12:31pm Thu 28 Jan 10
WATM
says...
12:52pm Thu 28 Jan 10
It's not going change anything at all so why make a song & dance about this?
I used to walk to work through Polygon and used to weep at the state of the students left it in.
But the problem is too far gone & the economy in Southampton makes too much money from students for them to change the rules on existing properties.
SotonNorth
says...
1:45pm Thu 28 Jan 10
Bob_101
says...
1:48pm Thu 28 Jan 10
southy
says...
2:25pm Thu 28 Jan 10
Donald2000
says...
3:51pm Thu 28 Jan 10
In the past, we did not do this with the cream of our youth; we had jobs for them and the youth went into them. Now we have dole or college (a choice indeed). We need to examine the real ROOT of the problem which is lack of jobs for talented youngsters and cattle prodding them into higher education.
To do more for this economy we also need to sack people who are getting millions for nothing (bankers) and try to provide real jobs for school leavers. Think back forty years to before the rot started in this country. Did we have those problems then?
Redback
says...
5:52pm Thu 28 Jan 10
stickymcglue wrote:Well exactly. Students are not the problem in this city.
this is hilarious... as if student ghettos are the real problem !? chav estates with illiterate parasites armed with bull terriers and their 8 pints-a-night attitude is the real housing problem that make 1000s of people's life a misery , not students....
bobbyboy
says...
5:53pm Thu 28 Jan 10
i do believe at the moment they dont pay a brass farthing hence they get richer and we get poorer so come on SCC hit em hard and in the same pocket you hit us that should solve some of it, oh yes and don't forget to charge the landlord rubbish clearance as soon as somebody reports it then he may keep his properties in a clean and safe state and remind the students to take the bins IN after they are emptied it's there responsibility
Ian24
says...
6:56pm Thu 28 Jan 10
Something needs to be done but this may backfire on those who campaigned for it.
Reduced house prices may be seen as a good thing as they become more affordable. But those with mortgages in the areas already will suffer.
You will also soon see landlords moving away from renting to students and will then rent to those on housing handouts on the council list. So as the students move out those on social will move in and maybe this will further devalue the area.
We could well see the Polygon and Portswood becoming a different type of ‘ghetto'..........
Politicians should spend the time improving schools and only then will families move into these areas
Donald2000
says...
7:22pm Thu 28 Jan 10
Ian24 wrote:Those on housing handouts may be hard workers who because of their low wages status have been forced to claim benefits to subsidise their income.....foot in mouth disease, my friend.
If passed residents of these areas will see the value of their houses fall quite a bit . This is as the 3 /4 beds are currently valued on rental yields. This will lead to 20% reductions in current prices in letting areas. Something needs to be done but this may backfire on those who campaigned for it. Reduced house prices may be seen as a good thing as they become more affordable. But those with mortgages in the areas already will suffer. You will also soon see landlords moving away from renting to students and will then rent to those on housing handouts on the council list. So as the students move out those on social will move in and maybe this will further devalue the area. We could well see the Polygon and Portswood becoming a different type of ‘ghetto'.......... Politicians should spend the time improving schools and only then will families move into these areas
Polygonia
says...
8:46pm Thu 28 Jan 10
investments wrote:Having been involved in the subject of Planning for over ten years, although not as an expert, I think we need to read about the planned changes more thoroughly.
The terminology of 'obtaining planning permission' is slightly misleading - landlord's will have to apply for a HMO licence not submit an actual planning application. Currently HMO licences are already being obtained by landlords renting out 3 storey properties which has proven to be a form-filling, money raising exercise which imposes the landlord's to increase fire safety measures and not rent out tiny bedrooms. It has not stopped landlord's renting these properties out, and it hasn't stopped pig ignorant tenants from occupying them. Safer rented properties do not result in a nicer community for people living around the tenanted houses. Tougher HMO licencing is just another bureaucratic measure that will not make the blindest bit of difference to people living in the Polygon or other areas - even if it had been brought in ten years ago. It does however, help in giving student's parents better peace of mind that their children may escape a burning house.
Planning permission will be required for any new smaller HMOs, with fewer than six occupants and Licensing will be required for all HMOs, under two different Council departments.
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