Council set to decide on tighter HMO planning rules

Derby City Council is set to decide on tighter planning controls for Houses in Multiple Occupation (HMO) in the city.

Tomorrow, the city council’s cabinet will meet to consider the findings of a nine-week public consultation and decide whether to go ahead with plans to tighten planning rules around converting smaller homes into HMOs.

Under proposals, developers and landlords would have to apply for planning permission before converting a home into a small HMO. Larger HMOs already require planning permission.

A HMO is a shared house with at least three unrelated tenants who share facilities like bathrooms and kitchens.

Currently, people need planning permission to convert a house into an HMO for six or more people, but not for smaller HMOs.

This is because converting a property to a small HMO is considered permitted development under national planning laws.

Earlier this year, the city council’s cabinet approved a proposal to apply to the Government for more powers, known as an Article 4 Direction, to regulate HMOs following a study into city wards where residents had raised concerns about the number of shared properties.

A public consultation, which ran from 2 April to 31 May, received more than 240 written responses. Most people supported the proposal, with only six opposing it.

Supporters of the proposal believed that it would improve housing quality, regulate private landlords, and help prevent problems associated with high concentrations of HMOs, such as anti-social behaviour, crime, parking issues, and strain on local services.

Among the letters of support was one from Marketing Derby, written by its managing director John Forkin.

He wrote: “Marketing Derby encourages the adoption of Article 4 planning conditions as a method in which to manage and thus block (if the council sees fit) poor quality HMO conversions.

“While we support the adoption of Article 4, we believe that these permissions should be implemented across all of the city’s wards – and not only specific locations, such as Derby city centre and the Arboretum ward.

“We also believe that if passed, these planning rules should be used to ensure previously converted HMOs also conform to quality standards.”

If approved, the direction would come into force in May 2025. The council will provide guidance to developers and residents about the criteria that will be used to decide whether or not to allow new HMOs.

Councillor Shiraz Khan, the city council’s cabinet member for housing, property and regulatory Services, said: “We know that it’s never been more important for the council to ensure that HMO properties provide safety and security to all residents.

“Shared properties are a useful and affordable option, especially for people whose housing options are limited, such as young professionals, students and those on low incomes.

“We need housing but not HMOs in every street. The increasing number of HMOs in certain parts of our city can lead to issues such as anti-social behaviour and crime and increased pressures on parking.

“The Article 4 Direction won’t prevent HMOs being created but it will give us more control over how many there are and where.”