Tenants, landlords and those living or working near houses in multiple occupation in Portsmouth are being urged to share their experiences in a survey before it closes on January 16.
According to estimates developed by Portsmouth council, there are around 6,000 HMOs in the city, and the authority wants to hear from residents about what it’s like to live in or near an HMO, or indeed what it’s like to own or manage one.
For tenants, the new survey explores topics including how long people have lived in HMOs, the quality of the accommodation and how comfortable people feel talking to their landlord about repairs.
For landlords the focus is more about getting a feel for the types of issues they face and whether they’d value more input from the council.
Local residents who live or work near HMOs will also be asked about the type of impact these properties may have on their day-to-day life.
A council spokesperson says: “We know that many landlords managing and tenants living in HMOs do right by each other, but we know that for some it can be challenging – whether it’s a landlord not abiding by their duties, or tenants not fulfilling their end of the bargain.
“I’d urge as many people as possible to take part in this survey so we can build a clearer picture about the realities faced by those living in, living near or managing HMOs.”
You can see and participate in the consultation here.
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The problem is that "HMO" ranges from a professional houseshare for people that will only be in an area for 6 months and can't afford a one-bed all the way to outright scum that the council don't want to deal with and the NHS cant be bothered to section. There's no "one size fits all" solution.
Totally agree.
Glasgow City Council insists all properties shared by 3 or more unrelated adults have an HMO licence, costing the same as a 10 person 10 bedsit purpose built or fully converted HMO property. This means many flats with adequate room for 3 can only be legally let to 2 unrelated adults. Since many Glasgow flats have adequate room for 3, up to a third of such flats could be made available for families if they would just change the HMO licence threshold from 3 to 4 unrelated adults, and reduce the rent paid per person by a third.
HMO properties have their place and help to alleviate the housing shortage but more common sense needs to be applied in what properties should be classed as HMO properties.
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