Hillingdon Council has approved a new boroughwide additional licensing scheme for Houses in Multiple Occupation (HMOs), increasing its powers to scrutinise landlords, improve housing conditions, tackle anti-social behaviour (ASB) and protect communities.
The council’s Cabinet agreed to adopt the scheme tonight (Thursday 19 February), following a 10-week public consultation held between 31 October and 11 January which received more than 1,000 responses, with 80 per cent backing its introduction.
Respondents highlighted concerns about inadequate housing conditions, ASB and inconsistent management standards in some HMOs.
The new scheme requires landlords of shared properties with fewer than five residents from two or more households to meet new licensing conditions covering safety, property standards, and effective management.
Licences will be issued for a five-year period and cost £1,401, with a 10 per cent reduction for accredited landlords.
The council already operates a mandatory licensing scheme for large HMOs, which are properties occupied by five or more residents from two or more households sharing bathroom or kitchen facilities.
The scheme can legally only come into force three months after the date of approval. Applications will open on Wednesday 20 May, with full compliance required by Sunday 23 August.
The additional licensing scheme will work in conjunction with the boroughwide Article 4 Direction, introduced in December, which requires planning permission to be obtained before a family home can be converted into an HMO.
Cllr Steve Tuckwell, Hillingdon Council’s Cabinet Member for Planning, Housing and Growth, said: “Residents have been clear, they are tired of communities being impacted by poorly managed HMOs and that is why we are taking co-ordinated and comprehensive action to introduce these new measures.
“Boroughwide licensing gives us the power to hold landlords accountable, protect tenants from poor housing conditions, and safeguard our neighbourhoods from ASB.
“Safe living standards are a fundamental right for every resident. The vast majority of professional landlords who provide decent, much-needed homes have nothing to fear from these measures. However, the message should be heard, we will step in where residents are being let down and will continue to use every tool at our disposal to protect our communities.”
To find out more visit, www.hillingdon.gov.uk/hmo.
