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Whitehead welcomes HMO change |
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Monday, 01 February 2010 |
 Alan Whitehead, Labour MP for Southampton Test, has welcomed the government's move to regulate the conversion of family homes into rented housing occupied by multiple households.
In future, the change will require landlords to apply for permission
from the Council if they want to change the use of one of their
properties from a family home to a House in Multiple Occupancy (HMO)-
just as if they were looking to build an extension on to the property.
"I'm delighted that our long campaign has paid off,” said Dr Whitehead.
“This will be a good deal for everyone in Southampton, not just people
looking for family homes but also students, who will benefit from a
tougher licensing regime which landlords will find it harder to evade.
"But Southampton will not get the full benefit of this change unless
the Tory Council uses the powers at its disposal to require all
landlords of student properties to be licensed. Many family homes in
parts of the city have already been rented out as HMOs. We can't turn
the clock back for those properties, but we can and should make
sure those landlords are maintaining their properties well and being
clear with their tenants about their responsibilities on issues
like noise pollution and anti-social behaviour."
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