Council ignores landlord protest to curb student HMOs

Another council is imposing tighter planning controls of shared student houses despite complaints from around 70 student landlords. Councillors in Northampton approved the move to introduce an article 4 declaration from February 2012. The Town and Country Planning Act declaration obliges landlords opening new shared rental homes - houses in multiple occupation (HMOs) - to apply for planning permission before taking in tenants. The restriction covers homes in the Sunnyside, Semilong, Kingsthorpe, Kingsley and Abington neighbourhoods. The councillors heard that other residents complained that the shared student houses upset their neighbourhoods with noise and poor behaviour. Cabinet member for planning, Councillor John Yates said: “There are problems throughout the town with this. It started in the Sunnyside area, because that is so close to the university, but it’s obviously something we need to regulate.” Landlords argued the decision would limit housing needed by students and singles. Northampton Council is one of a string of university towns and cities across the UK taking advantage of the special planning rules for HMOs. Councillors in Inverness have also announced this week that they are considering limiting HMOs in the town with an article 4 declaration. Without the declaration, any property with more than five tenants or over three or more storeys must apply for planning permission, but the declaration lets councils apply the planning rule to any house shared by three or more unrelated tenants. Meanwhile, a vet who rented out an unlicensed shared house to students was fined £5,000. Martin Boyd, of County Tyrone, Northern Ireland, denied renting the seven-bedroomed property in Hawarden Avenue, Wavertree, without an HMO licence. He was found guilty at Liverpool Magistrates Court and ordered to pay the fine and costs of £3,627. Councillor Ann O’Byrne, cabinet member for housing, said; “This prosecution was brought by our HMO team and it sends a clear message to landlords.”

Landlord blog

Siobhan Smith

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