Marketing No Comments

Council plans crackdown on HMOs in the Dales

Plans to crack down on the number of HMOs (House in Multiple Occupation) in the Dales neighbourhood of Smithdown have been revealed.

Liverpool City Council says the over concentration of shared housing is impacting on the lives of local residents with noise complaints and anti-social behaviour (ASB) incidents above the city average.

Currently, no planning application for a change of use from a house to HMO for up to six people is required as planning permission for such a change is automatically granted.

Council evidence shows that the Dales neighbourhood, bounded by Wellington Road/Gainsborough Road, Smithdown Road, and the West Coast Main railway, has a higher than average concentration of HMOs (39%) and that this is adversely impacting on local residents’ quality of life.

Between April 2015 and October 2017, there were 275 complaints to the council’s noise team; whilst between April 2014 and February 2017, there were 360 ASB incidents reported to the police.

Almost 80% of the properties on one road, Borrowdale Road, are listed as HMOs.

To combat the situation, the council wants to use an Article 4 Direction to remove permitted development rights that allow a change of use from class C3 (Dwelling House) to C4 (HMO for up to six persons) to happen without the need for planning consent.

The Direction is recommended for approval at a meeting of the council’s cabinet this Friday (24 November).

Source: Your Move Magazine

Marketing No Comments

Swanky student house does not have planning permission to be an HMO

A luxurious student house with seven double bedrooms and a hot tub does not have planning permission to take student tenants, the Bath Chronicle has discovered.

Fieldgate, a £6,000-a-month property on The Avenue next to the University of Bath, is advertised for students who want to live a life of luxury.

In Bath, landlords who want to change the use of their properties from from family homes to Houses of Multiple Occupation, or HMOs as they are more widely known, require planning permission from Bath and North East Somerset Council and an HMO licence depending on the type of property.

An HMO is a property rented to three or more individuals who are unrelated and share communal areas, such as a bathroom and kitchen.

Landlord Richard Fisher does not need a licence but does need planning permission to change the property’s use, which he has not yet sought.

planning permission
One bedroom comes with a balcony (Image: Upad)

He is not currently breaking council rules by advertising the home to students but would be if any were to move in.

The huge property is unlike a regular HMO – one bedroom comes with a balcony, there is a huge kitchen seating 14 people and a large garden perfect for “playing badminton”.

The advert on Upad.co.uk also specifies no deposit, guarantors, references or agent fees are required.

A spokesman for B&NES Council said that while it does not require an HMO licence, “it would still require planning permission” were students to move in.

You don't see a hot tub in every student house
You don’t see a hot tub in every student house (Image: Upad)

Fieldgate is also advertised on Airbnb for nearly £600 per night and can host up to 14 people.

The post reads: “Events and parties allowed only if you can convince me that you will look after the house and not annoy the neighbours with overly loud noise, especially after 10pm.”

After midnight the hot tub is out of bounds, but “there’s loads of room in the house of continued enjoyment”.

It is perfect for students as it is on the university's doorstep
It is perfect for students as it is on the university’s doorstep (Image: Upad)

“The neighbour opposite has been giving me some horror stories about guests shrieking with laughter, shouting, and even crying on their way to and from the taxi to the house and sometimes remaining outside to talk loudly on their phones, in the early hours and way after the neighbours have gone to bed at 10.30pm,” the post continued.

Richard Fisher, owner of Fieldgate, said the council confirmed the property does not require a HMO licence because it is only two-storeys, but he was unaware that he required planning permission.

“My intention is to not do anything which doesn’t have the right licence or planning consent.

“I run a very good establishment and I make sure everybody staying there is considerate for the neighbours.”

Source: Property Wire

Marketing No Comments

Developer challenges landmark Armley HMO decision

A landmark decision to refuse planning permission for a shared house in Armley is to be challenged after the developer launched an appeal.

In August councillors on Leeds City Council’s south and west plans panel turned down an application to turn a four-bedroom family terrace house in Conference Road into a house of multiple occupation (HMO) for four people.

They said the application, by Oakwood-based White Owl Properties Ltd, would alter the character of the area, that another HMO would affect community cohesion, cause parking problems and would lead to the loss of a much-needed family home.

But White Owl has now launched an appeal against the decision and the final decision on their proposals will be taken by an independent Government planning inspector.

Council planning officers had said there was not a high enough concentration of HMOs to the south of the railway line to turn down planning permission – but they arguments were overturned by councillors.

Applicant Sara Poskitt argued that she and her partner Sam Waterworth owned six properties between them and never had any noise problems with tenants. Ms Poskitt said that tenants were always vetted, that unemployed and DSS were not allowed and strict checks were in place.

The Planning Inspectorate says the appeal will be dealt with by the written representations procedure and the planning inspector will visit the site. No date has yet been given for the appeal.

Source: West Leeds Dispatch