Another council wants to get tough on all forms of Homes in Multiple Occupation, and want to deny landlords the option to use existing laws to create small HMOs.

Telford and Wrekin council will next week begin a consultationon proposals put forward to introduce additional licensing and an Article 4 direction for smaller HMOs, occupied by three or more people forming two or more households and sharing facilities such as kitchens and bathrooms.

Currently across Telford and Wrekin, only HMOs that accommodate five or more people, forming two or more households are subject to mandatory licensing.

While HMOs with more than six people are also subject to full planning permission those with six people or less can be established through permitted development rights. The Article 4 direction – if granted by the government – would remove the option for landlords of these smaller HMOs to use permitted development rights and would therefore require them to seek planning permission. 

The council claims this planning change would allow it to know where all new HMOs are located and to consider their impact on the wider community and local services.

The additional licensing proposals would mean all HMO properties would be inspected for safety and hazard compliance and landlords would be required to manage issues such as anti-social behaviour.  This element would apply to all HMO both existing and new.

As the consultation looks at two separate measures, it will be delivered through two surveys. One survey will ask people to comment on proposals for additional licensing and the other to comment on the introduction of Article 4. The additional licensing consultation will run from December 16 to March 11, while the HMO consultation will run from December 16 to February 10.