New Rules On Houses In Multiple Occupation

New Rules on Houses in Multiple Occupation

New regulations are due to come into force this year relating to what is a "home in multiple occupation". For example 6 students might share a 3 bed roomed house. They are not related and that would be a Home in Multiple Occupation.   The Housing and Planning Minister says that the new rules will increase the circumstances where it will become necessary to obtain planning permission for houses or flats in single person or family occupation to be used as Houses in Multiple Occupation (HMO). The minister said "Private landlords play a big part in meeting the housing needs of millions so I want to raise the standards and stamp out the worst landlords that drag down the reputation of the rest.  Councils know their communities and are best placed to help tenants facing landlords who rent unsafe or substandard accommodation and take little responsibility for the problems caused for neighbours."

Owners who let property may need to be a bit more careful in future if the number of tenants falls down to only three unrelated people because if they then want to raise the number again they may need planning permission to go above three, whereas under the previous law the level was six people before the home was a Home in Multiple Occupation.

Call Julia Perks on 01297 630700 or Peter Warr on 01460 269700 for further information.