Councils handed power to tackle excessive concentrations of houses in multiple occupation

Local authorities are to be handed new powers to control the spread of high concentrations of shared rented homes and tackle substandard accommodation run by landlords, the housing and planning minister has said.

John Healey said clusters of houses in multiple occupation (HMO) could cause problems, especially if too many in a given area are let to those with little interest or stake in the local community.

Market, coastal and university towns have suffered particularly from these concentrations, the government said. They include Nottingham, Southampton, Loughborough, Leeds, Bristol and Blackpool.

The shake-up, which requires an amendment to the Town and Country Planning Act ‘Use Class Order’ with effect from April this year, will mean that landlords need to obtain planning permission if they are to establish a new HMO with a change of use. This could be where a family home is altered to a shared house with three or more tenants who are not related – the threshold is currently six.

A consultation launched this week will also look at giving a general consent to councils to introduce licensing schemes in areas where landlords do not maintain their properties properly. At the moment the two forms of discretionary licensing scheme – under parts 2 and 3 of the Housing Act 2004 – require central government approval.

“A general consent would ensure that decisions on the quality of rented homes are made by those who are aware of the local issues and needs of the community,” the Department for Communities and Local Government said, which also revealed that work is continuing on the new National Landlords Register.

Healey said: “I am giving councils more local powers to crack down on the worst landlords and stop the spread of high concentrations of shared homes where it causes problems for other residents or changes the character of a neighbourhood.

“Private landlords play a big part in meeting the housing needs of millions, so I want to raise the standards and stamp out the worst landlords that drag down the reputation of the rest. Councils know their communities and are best placed to help tenants facing landlords who rent unsafe or substandard accommodation and take little responsibility for the problems caused for neighbours.”