Warrington council says it’s looking to control the proliferation of HMOs in the town.

It says a range of options will be reviewed shortly by its Housing Policy Committee, describing them as “proportionate, evidence-based, and helping to maintain sustainable, balanced communities.”

In Warrington there are currently 211 licensed HMOs, with clusters in four particular areas. This figure does not include unlicensed HMOs, which the council admits are harder to track but remain a key focus for enforcement.

It says that dormal complaints about HMOs in the town typicallty relate to issues such as upkeep, waste, parking, and anti-social behaviour, although the licensing process itself focuses on safety and property standards rather than restricting the number of HMOs.

A council spokesperson says: “HMOs have an important part to play in ensuring affordable housing for local residents. However, high concentrations of HMOs can sometimes run the risk of negatively impact communities, leading to anti-social behaviour, noise, parking issues, and changes to the character of neighbourhoods.

“There is a balance that needs to be struck, and I think that developing a policy that introduces sensible parameters around HMOs is something the council should be pursuing.”