Councillors in Derby hope to get tougher on HMO landlords by introducing an Article 4 direction in the city.
The proposed new rule would give the authority greater powers to control the number of HMOs in a number of wards including Arboretum and Abbey and impose conditions to limit noise or provide adequate parking space or bin storage.
It will consider plans after a council study in the Arboretum ward found that some residents were concerned that large numbers of HMOs created problems including a lack of parking, anti-social behaviour such as fly tipping, and deterioration of buildings.
Councillor Shiraz Khan, cabinet member for housing, property and regulatory services, says HMOs are a great housing option for lots of people, provided they are of a high quality.
“We want our communities to thrive and make sure that tenants in HMOs live in safe and decent homes,” he adds.
“It’s also important to remember that currently, we don’t have an option to assess whether premises are suitable for conversion to smaller HMOs.
Many landlords keep their properties in good order, but we know that some smaller HMOs have rooms that wouldn’t be approved if they had to go through the planning process.”
Anyone who wants to convert a house into an HMO for six or more people needs planning permission; to change this, the council would have to apply to the government, which needs robust evidence that smaller HMOs are causing harm - in planning terms - to the local area. Derby currently doesn’t have an additional or selective licensing scheme.
If cabinet approves the proposal – during a meeting on 10th January - there will be a public consultation within the suggested Article 4 area.
Main pic credit: Google Streetview.
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