hmo Archives - Page 6 of 11 -

Marketing February 23, 2018 No Comments

Overturned: council’s ban on hotel being converted into HMO

A COUNCIL ban on a hotel being converted into an HMO has been overturned.

Last year Bournemouth council turned down a bid to convert Earlham Lodge, at 91 Alumhurst Road, Bournemouth, into an HMO (house in multiple occupation), claiming it could damage Alum Chine’s reputation as a tourist destination.

However the applicant has now successfully appealed the decision, and the council will have to pay the costs.

Planning inspector Andy Harwood’s report states: “I have no evidence that the balance of the community will be harmed by the HMO.

“In relation to the main issue, the HMO has an acceptable impact upon the character of the surrounding area and its tourism function.”

He was critical of the council’s submission describing the tourism offer in the Alum Chine area.

The borough said according to the most recent figures, 22 per cent of visitors to Alum Chine beach during the summer of 2015 were staying overnight in Bournemouth, 50 per cent in hotels and 29 per cent in self-catering accommodation.

However the inspector said there was no evidence these people were staying in Alum Chine.

“It is not clear how the holiday accommodation is distributed or to what degree those properties are separated by residential accommodation,” he said.

“It is possible that some of these properties could involve use of rooms within dwellings rather than being solely holiday accommodation.

“The evidence is not precise or detailed.

“It is not presented in a form that helps me understand the geographical distribution of the holiday accommodation.

“From what I saw at my site visit, the largely suburban residential character of the area around the site does not appear to include a noticeably high concentration of properties that are clearly in use for holiday accommodation.”

Bournemouth council has already approved, in 2016, plans to convert the building to holiday flats, and recently agreed to drop a condition so the flats can also be used for accommodation.

The HMO bid last year attracted five letters of objection from nearby residents, chiefly expressing their concerns about potential noise, the loss of the tourist facility and the setting of a precedent for HMOs in the area.

Source: Bournemouth Echo

Marketing February 21, 2018 No Comments

Additional Licensing proposal in Bristol

The council proposes to introduce an Additional Licensing scheme for houses in multiple occupation across Bristol City. Specifically 12 wards that make up central Bristol – Ashley, Bishopston & Ashley Down, Central, Clifton, Clifton Down, Cotham, Easton, Hotwells & Harbourside, Lawrence Hill, Redland, Southville and Windmill Hill – with the aim to improve poor management and poor housing conditions.

The Proposed Additional will capture most HMO’s that are not defined as HMO’s under the expected Mandatory Licensing regulations expected in April.

It would apply to all private rented houses or flats in this area that are let to three or more people who aren’t related and who share some facilities, like kitchens or bathrooms.

Landlords would need to apply for a licence and meet licensing conditions.

The basic proposed licence fee under this scheme without any discounts, would be £1,660, valid for up to five years. With discounts (early application/proof of in date & satisfactory Gas, Electrical & EPC Certificates and membership of an approved West of England Rent with Confidence scheme) the licence fee would be reduced to £885. For renewals this would be £785.

Further information about this proposal can be accessed by clicking here.

“Rob Crawford, Chairman for the Association of Local Landlords (Wessex) encourages all landlords that may be affected to read the proposal in detail before responding to the consultation survey. The consultation closes on 13th May 2018.

The proposal was not unexpected after Councilor Paul Smith’s (BCC’s Cabinet Minister for Housing) outburst at a recent landlord meeting, where he revealed plans to introduce City Wide licensing were due to “Labour Policy!

Together with recent changes in tax legislation, higher tax threshold landlords with large portfolios now face bankruptcy. Irrespective as to whether the landlord is compliant or rogue. Additional licensing does not discriminate sufficiently between the two!

The Council has not demonstrated how a basic Additional Licensing fee of £1,660 can possibly be justified. If the Council maintains that this level of fee reflects its costs of administering the scheme, then it must be so inefficient that it must be challenged. While the Council may have the legal power to introduce new measures, it is also under a duty to do so in the most cost-effective manner possible. ALL Wessex is aware of at least one significantly lower cost alternative scheme.

Furthermore, the Council needs to be reminded that there is a legal obligation on Councils to only spend the funds raised from Additional Licensing on the scheme. It is simply illegal to spend this money on other Council services.

The Council is proposing that a discount of £775 can apply, resulting in a net fee of £885. However, the Council has not justified why its costs would be so much more if landlords cannot comply immediately with these requirements. Even at a proposed discounted fee level of £885, ALL Wessex has some difficulty in understanding how the Council’s costs can be so high.

Whilst we wish to support the eradication of rogue landlords and where necessary support landlords in meeting an acceptable rental standard, we do not believe Additional Licensing as proposed is in the interest of landlords or their tenants.

We will be providing landlords with guidance on how to best respond to the consultation in due course. All landlords must play an active part in objecting to this proposal”

Rob Crawford, Chairman for the Association of Local Landlords (Wessex)

Source: Property 118

Marketing February 20, 2018 No Comments

Southampton City Council to discuss renewal of HMO scheme

CALLS are being made for a crackdown on Southampton landlords in a bid to stamp out anti-social behaviour across the city.

Housing bosses say landlords need to take a tougher stance against tenants who make life a misery for neighbours.

The calls come as residents across the city are given their say on how landlords who run houses of multiple occupancy (HMO) are licensed.

The council’s current scheme, which covers Bevois, Bargate, Portswood and Swaythling, is set to expire in July.

Council housing bosses hope to renew the current policy, which they say has been a “success”.

But they are required to consult with residents first.

Ahead of the launch of the consultation, residents and councillors are calling for the council to toughen up the scheme, in order to tackle absent landlords and unruly tenants.

Sandra Lockhead, chair of the Central Portswood Residents’ Association, said the Portswood area has been “completely changed” by the influx of HMOs.

She said: “We’ve had major problems with anti-social behaviour, noise, damage to cars and rubbish piled up in the streets.

“It’s not acceptable behaviour.”

Mrs Lockhead blamed “marauding students” and “absent landlords” for the bulk of the problems.

She said: “Normally the agencies are quite good, but some of the landlords just don’t care.”

Mrs Lockhead’s concerns have been echoed by Portswood ward member, councillor Paul O’Neill.

He said: “I’ve had reports of late night parties, fireworks being set off in the early hours of the morning.

“They leave the bins out and in some areas you can’t even walk on the pavement.”

He added: “I think the scheme is working but within a certain remit.

“I think landlords need to be accountable to the residents in neighbouring properties.

“It should be similar to pub landlords, who have a responsibility to local residents.

“If they don’t get their customers to behave they face losing their licence.”

The council’s current additional licensing scheme was launched in 2013.

All HMO properties which have three or more occupiers from two or more households must be licensed and must comply with any set conditions.

This excludes those covered by the government’s Mandatory Licensing scheme.

The council says it has handed out 3500 HMO licences since the scheme launched five years ago – half of those with set conditions.

The authority says almost 40 per cent of properties do not comply.

In a report, set to be discussed by councillors tonight, housing chiefs says their is “still work to do to raise standards”.

But it states that since the introduction of the scheme, noise nuisance and waste complaints have fallen by more than 50 per cent.

Complaints by tenants about housing conditions have also fallen by 75 per cent.

Council leader, Simon Letts, said he was pleased to see the scheme supported by a Conservative councillor.

Meanwhile, the Southern Landlords Association, which represents members across the south east, has promised to work with the council during the consultation.

However, one of its directors, Peter Littlewood, rejected calls for tougher regulations.

He said: “In general, landlords as a whole do work with tenants to control anti-social behaviour.

“But if someone continues to do it, all you can do is evict.

“It is the council and police that have the powers to deal with it.”

The city council’s cabinet are set to make a final decision on the launch of the consultation at a meeting tonight.

The cabinet will then make review the result of the consultation at a meeting in June, in the hope of implementing a new scheme before the current one expires in July.

Source: Daily Echo

Marketing February 15, 2018 No Comments

HMO planning permission for pub conversion rejected

A plan to turn the empty “The Greyhound in Sutton at Hone” north Kent pub into a house in multiple occupation has been thrown out by Dartford councillors.

An application to renovate the Greyhound in Main Street, Sutton at Hone, into an 11-bedroom HMO has been rejected following a meeting.

The developer, Bestsafe Development, wanted to replace the roof with a higher single-pitched roof increasing the height by 1.4m.

In its application, the developer said: “This proposal for the conversion of a former public house to form an HMO of 11 no. single bedrooms would be a positive addition to the local area.

“It will enable young persons to live locally, close to their families, and yet be able to commute to central London via nearby train station. It will bring much needed economy to the area and local businesses.”

An HMO is a home that has at least three tenants living there – and the scheme for the Greyhound proposed 11 single bedrooms, along with 12 parking spaces.

However, the scheme has been rejected because of how the new roof would impact on the setting of a Grade II listed building – The Hollies.

The council rejected the application on the grounds that the height of the new new roof would have significant detrimental impact to the appearance of the building.

Source: News Shopper

Marketing February 12, 2018 No Comments

Hampshire Trust Bank cuts rates for HMO & Buy-To-Let Mortgages

Hampshire Trust Bank’s commercial mortgages team has cut its remortgage buy-to-let and (HMO) 5-year fixed rate to 3.99%.

The deal is applicable to loans ranging from £200,000 to £1m, there is no application fee and it is subject to terms and conditions.

The commercial mortgages team offers bridging and term finance secured against buy-to-let, semi-commercial and commercial property with loan amounts from £100,000 to £2.5m.

Anna Lewis, head of sales, commercial mortgages, at Hampshire Trust Bank, said: “We are delighted to be launching another deal to our brokers.

“We are committed to continually improving our service and driving product enhancements wherever possible.

“We understand that this is a challenging time and want to help our brokers to make the most of opportunities in the remortgage BTL and HMO space.”

The commercial mortgages team offers bridging and term finance secured against buy-to-let, semi-commercial and commercial property with loan amounts from £100,000 to £2.5m.

Source: Hampshire Trust Bank

Marketing February 12, 2018 No Comments

Agency prosecuted for breaking HMO and licensing regulations

A lettings agency apparently trying to get around HMO regulations has been prosecuted for licensing and housing offences.

Easy Let Agency let out properties from landlords in order to re-rent them as Houses in Multiple Occupation without the landlords’ knowledge.

Staff from the firm, which also operates under the name Focus Property Management Limited, were hit with fines in two court hearings at Willesden, north London.

In the first case, the owners of a five bedroom terrace house in Willesden, let out their property to Claudio Crisafulli who was working as a freelance estate agent for Easy Let.

Crisafulli then illegally sublet the house as an HMO behind his landlords’ backs.

Brent council’s licensing enforcement team became involved when neighbours complained about lots of people coming and going from the property. Investigating officers found it difficult to track down the people responsible because Easy Let Agency was listed under a false address.

Now Easy Let company director, Marcio Da Silva has been fined £2,000 for failure to licence and a further £2,000 for breach of management regulations as well as £1,670 in costs. Fellow director, Marcio Auriello Do Prado, was fined £3,000 for failure to licence and £3,000 for breach of management regulations alongside £1,670 fines.

Claudio Crisafulli was fined £400 for failure to licence and £400 for a breach of management regulations on top of £40 costs. The agency was also slapped with a £5,000 fine and £170 in costs. The total fines and costs for the case amounted to £19,180.

In a separate sentence hearing, Focus Property Management Limited was sentenced to a total of £20,229 in fines for management regulation and licensing breaches for another rented property in Willesden Green.

Source: Letting Agent Today

Marketing February 11, 2018 No Comments

Former Bath pub could be transformed into five-bed HMO

A former city centre pub could be given a new lease of life and turned into a five-bed house of multiple occupancy.

The Grapes in Westgate Street closed its doors for good in April 2017 with operator Green King saying it was a “difficult decision”.

The building, which dates back to 1317, was once used as a wine merchant before being converted into a pub in the 19th century.

But now the owner has submitted plans to Bath and North East Somerset Council to convert three floors of the historical building into an HMO.

According the designs and access statement on the council’s planning portal, the flats on the upper three floors were once home to staff, but have been empty for six months.

The document reads: “Since the previous tenant’s lease expired, the premises has been actively marketed without success and remains vacant.

“As there is strong demand for shared residential accommodation in secondary locations in the city centre it is proposed that refurbishment is undertaken to change the property to residential use providing five bedrooms with shared facilities.”

The proposal is seeking permission to separate the upper three floors from the ground floor and basement to create a separate property, which would be an HMO.

An HMO is a property with three or more unrelated residents.

They are popular among young professionals who may be unable to afford to live alone and university students once they leave on-campus accommodation.

At the time of writing, the application had received two objections online.

Kirsten Elliott, who lives in Bathwick, said: “I object to this proposal as it presently stands.

“Putting an HMO on such a busy street as Westgate Street seems to me to be a remarkably foolish thing to do.

“The pavement is very narrow here, as is the alleyway at the side.

“To have a shop and people coming and going from their accommodation will make traffic difficulties and could indeed be dangerous.”

H Smith, a resident of Combe Down, added: “There is also no justification as to why an HMO would be more suitable in this location than conversion to C3 residential accommodation.”

Council planning officers are expected to made a decision before March 21.

Source: Bath Chronicle

Marketing February 8, 2018 No Comments

Agents claimed to be sub-letting home as HMO without landlord’s knowledge fined nearly £40,000

A letting agency and several of its personnel who were involved in renting a property in order to then sub-let it as a HMO without the landlords’ knowledge have been slapped with fines totalling tens of thousands of pounds.

Easy Let Agency in Brent, London, whose personnel also operate under the name Focus Property Management Ltd, has been prosecuted at Willesden Magistrates Court for licensing and housing offences.

Both firms and several individuals associated with the businesses have been handed penalties in two separate court hearings last month, according to Brent Council.

In the first case, the owners of a five-bedroom terrace house in Gowan Road, Willesden, rented out their property to Claudio Crisafulli who was working as a freelance estate agent for Easy Let.

Crisafulli then illegally sub-let the house as an HMO behind his landlords’ backs.

Neighbours in Gowan Road complained to Brent Council about lots of people coming and going from the property.

Investigating officers found it difficult to track down the people responsible because Easy Let Agency was listed under a false address.

Easy Let company director Marcio Da Silva was fined £2,000 for failure to licence and a further £2,000 for breach of management regulations as well as £1,670 in costs on January 25.

Fellow director, Marcio Auriello Do Prado, was fined £3,000 for failure to license and £3,000 for breach of management regulations alongside £1,670 fines.

Claudio Crisafulli was fined £400 for failure to license and £400 for a breach of management regulations on top of £40 costs.

The agency itself was also hit with a £5,000 fine and £170 in costs.

The total fines and costs for the case amounted to £19,180.

In a separate sentence hearing on January 30, Focus Property Management Ltd was fined a total of £20,229 for management regulation and licensing breaches for another rented property in Tower Road, Willesden Green.

The matter is still subject to court proceedings and so few further details are available.

Cllr Harbi Farah, cabinet member for housing and welfare reform, said: “We will pursue estate agents and sub-letters who operate outside the law all the way to court.

“Sadly, we have seen that rogue operators in the private rented sector disrupt neighbourhoods and make tenants’ lives a misery.

“Brent Council will do everything to improve the standard of living in Brent.”

Source: Property Industry Eye

Marketing February 5, 2018 No Comments

HMO landlord fined for 32 offences at Wolverhampton flats

Harbhajan Singh Dhami admitted failing to put right 32 housing offences at a HMO (house in multiple occupation) in Merridale Lane, Wolverhampton.

Fire hazards, electrical issues, damp and a large pile of waste were all found at the property when council inspectors visited in June.

That inspection followed confirmation that no approval had been sought for the conversion of the property to flats, therefore confirming it was a HMO and should be regulated under the HMO regulations.

The property consisted of two sets of flats – 11 flats in total of which seven were being lived in.

Dhami – of Ednam Road, Wolverhampton – and his company Dhami Accommodation Ltd, received fines, charges and costs totalling £33,995, at Wolverhampton Magistrates Court.

District Judge Murray said: “Mr Dhami was a good landlord, with the exception of this property, where the issues of disrepair go back longer than the summons period.

“Mr Dhami blamed the tenants for the damage to the property but accepted that the tenants in the property were vulnerable and therefore the duty of care that he owed to his tenants was much greater.

“From the company accounts provided to the court it was clear that the company had made a substantial profit and the judge had to consider the totality of the offending.

“He said that while Mr Dhami would be given credit for his guilty plea he would be sentenced on the high risk involved.

“It was clear that the property was a high fire risk and that candles were being used at the property which also had loose wiring.

“Apart from the fire risk the damp throughout the property posed a risk to health.

“There had been a lack of compliance from Mr Dhami when council officers had required him to correct these problems and a lack of response when he was given the opportunity to do so.”

Councillor Peter Bilson, deputy leader and cabinet member for city assets and housing, said: “We are determined to bring to task landlords who are not complying with housing laws and building regulations.

“Our residents’ health and wellbeing is of paramount importance to us and this case should act as a lesson to all landlords in the private sector.

“Thankfully, the majority of landlords in Wolverhampton abide by the rules and regulations and co-operate with the council.

“The council takes very seriously its commitment to monitoring the private housing sector and we will continue to do so to ensure tenants’ living standards are of the highest quality.”

Source: Express and Star

Marketing February 2, 2018 No Comments

Landmark ruling against landlord in ‘back garden shanty town’ case

A council has claimed a legal first after it used the Proceeds of Crime Act (POCA) against landlords for breaches of licensing conditions, in a landmark ruling.

A Crown Court judge ruled yesterday that POCA could be used to recover criminal assets that a family obtained from cramming 31 tenants into a single four-bedroom property.

The man who collected around £112,000 in rent from the tenants may also be ordered to repay any financial benefit he gained under the same POCA ruling.

The case centres around the Shah family, who contravened the Management of HMO Regulations 2006 and breached licensing conditions as a result of squeezing so many tenants into a property on Napier Road in Wembley, London.

Brent Council has previously described the property (pictured) as a “Slumdog Millionaire-esque shanty home”.

Council officers discovered one woman living in lean-to shack next to the four-bedroom property during a raid in July 2016.

The shack had no lighting or heating and was made out of wood offcuts, pallets and tarpaulin.

Harsha Shah, daughter Chandni Shah and brother-in-law Sanjay Shah now face paying a confiscation order for financial benefit as a result of those breaches.

The order also covers repairs they neglected to fix and financial gain made from their racketeering.

It comes after Sanjay Shah lost his appeal against the charge of aiding and abetting the breaches of a term of the selective licence attached to the property on January 5 this year.

He also lost his appeal against his conviction for contraventions of the Management of HMO Regulations 2006.

Jaydipkumar Valand, who has previously been described in some press reports as an agent, and who collected rent from tenants for the Shah family in 2015 may also be ordered to repay any financial benefits he made.

Cllr Harbi Farah, cabinet member for housing and welfare reform, said: “This is a landmark legal decision for our zero tolerance policy against rogue landlords.

“We will use all the powers we have to put an end to tenants living in misery, and this includes the Proceeds of Crime Act.

“We want to work with landlords and agents to improve the standard of living in the private rented sector, and we urge those responsible to licence their properties and comply with licensing conditions.”

Edmund Robb, counsel from Prospect Law who represented Brent in the hearing, said: “This judgment represents a landmark ruling from the Crown Court which allows local authorities to initiate confiscation proceedings under POCA 2002 for criminal offences linked to safety and amenity regulations.

“Rogue landlords cannot now hide behind previous case law to avoid being required by the courts to pay back rents and other benefits obtained whilst their tenants lived in squalid and dangerous conditions.”