Councillors back call for tighter regulation of HMOs

Nicholas Thomas, Local Democracy Reporter

Tighter regulations around houses in multiple occupation (HMOs) will ensure “fairness” and “common sense”, a Newport councillor has claimed.

Cllr Mark Howells is pushing for a more transparent system for approving new HMOs that would align planning and licensing applications – and more tools to punish landlords who flout the law.

HMOs are typically properties where three or more single, unrelated adults have their own private bedrooms but share other areas such as kitchens or bathrooms.

The Lliswerry ward councillor accepted HMOs “fulfil a significant housing need” but said applications are inevitably followed by enquiries or objections from neighbours “concerned” about the impact such properties will have on their community.

“They are real concerns and we need to listen to them,” added Cllr Howells.

His notice of motion, which called for “better integration” of planning and licensing checks, and “clear powers” to remove licences when there are problems, won cross-party support at a Newport City Council meeting on Tuesday.

Cllr Dimitri Batrouni, who leads the council and who seconded the motion, said city residents “do need” HMOs because of Newport’s growing population.

“There are real consequences for our communities when we don’t have responsible landlords and tenants – they cause us real angst,” he added.

“It’s important we make sure the governance structure is right, appropriate and all the teams do speak to each other.”

Cllr Batrouni said he would be happy to write to the relevant Welsh Government minister to outline the council’s calls for change.

Planning applications for new HMOs “always” draw objections from neighbours, said Cllr David Fouweather, who warned residents end up thinking the council and its planning committee “ignore the facts” if bids are approved despite their concerns.

He said opposition to HMOs was “usually about simple things that impact upon existing residents’ lives”.

Planning guidance may favour a HMO proposed near a bus stop, but neighbours will only see “five extra cars taking up space on a road where parking is already restricted”.

“I don’t want to see people on the street because they can’t be housed – but we have to make sure the council has the ability to refuse HMOs if the infrastructure is not in place properly to support them,” he added.

Cllr Saeed Adan, the cabinet member for housing, said licensing and planning permissions operate in different ways, and warned against conflating the two processes.

But he said the council was “always out there for our citizens” and required landlords to operate “safely”.

Cllr Howells said HMO licensing and planning procedures “operate completely in isolation” to each other, with landlords able to obtain a license even when they have no planning permission to convert a property.

He claimed this results in HMOs “operating in breach of planning law”, and cases where tenants who move into an unapproved HMO “in good faith” may later face eviction if enforcement action is taken against their landlord.