16 February 2010 - Planning Permission for HMOs

The Government have confirmed that they are looking at making an amendment to the Town and Country Planning Act to introduce a new class for HMOs. The result of this change will require Landlords to seek planning permission if they are changing the status of a property to an HMO where there are three or more occupants who are not members of the same family and who share basic amenities.



These changes are a response to a government consultation which concluded that the cluster of too many shared houses can sometimes cause problems to the balance and nature of local communities. Tenants can also suffer from poor conditions and management of the properties by Landlords. The change in legislation would give local authorities the power to manage the development of HMOs in their area which in turn would help to stem the growth of large pockets of shared homes.



At this stage this is only an announcement and the legislative changes have not yet been made. A change of administration may see a delay in the law coming to force. Please be assured that we will keep you up to date if and when we receive further information.



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