Landlords now face tougher rules if they want to convert family homes into rented rooms, after a London cuncil tightened planning controls.
Ealing council is now demanding that any landlord who wants to convert their home into an HMO – however small – must secure planning consent from the authority.
The Labour-controlled body says these new rules will allow the council to assess their suitability including their impact on neighbourhoods. And all HMOs also have to be licensed, meaning that landlords are set legally-binding standards for the way they manage their homes and deal with their tenants.
Around 4,000 HMOs in the borough are licensed, but it’s estimated there are more than 5,550 HMOs overall.
The council trialled the new planning process in one area – Perivale – in September 2024 after residents allegedly raised concerns about the rising number of HMOs in the area and about how some of them were being poorly managed. Since then, more than 25% of applications for HMOs have been turned down by the council or have been withdrawn by the landlord.
In addition, the council recently appointed dedicated enforcement officers to focus on waste-related issues linked with HMOs and rented properties. So far, the team has investigated almost 120 properties. That has led to 12 warnings and 5 referrals to the unlicensed properties team.
A council spokesperson says: “This decision shows we are listening to our communities on this issue. Over the past 3 years, we’ve seen a rise in complaints linked to HMOs, ranging from noise and waste to safety concerns. Most landlords are responsible, but with growing demand and a small minority of poor practices, it’s crucial we support better standards. We are doing that by inspecting almost 200 properties and issuing 800 new licenses each month.
“The private rented sector plays a vital role in the local housing market, but we know there are improvements that can be made. By changing the planning permission process across the borough, we’re taking proactive steps to create safer, more harmonious neighbourhoods. These new controls will help us protect communities across the borough while preserving access to affordable housing.”
This article is taken from Landlord Today