Ealing Council has said it will be taking more control over houses in multiple occupation (HMOs) following concerns from residents over the impact they have on local communities.
Last month (4 September 2024) at a council planning committee, councillors agreed to enforce two directions under Article 4 of the Town and Country Planning Order 2015. This will require landlords and property owners to apply for planning permission if they want to convert homes into small HMOs.
According to the council there are around 8,360 HMOs across Ealing and the move will allow it to deal with issues around poorly managed HMOs which have been blighting the borough with rubbish, noise and anti-social behaviour.
The first area to come under the new rule will be all of Perivale ward with all of the borough to follow in autumn 2025 and follows concerns by residents living in Perivale’s Medway Village who have been campaigning about the rise of HMOs in their local area.
In a statement, Ealing Council said: “Many HMOs offer good quality, low-cost housing, but the borough faces challenges with poorly managed HMOs. When not properly managed, HMOs can provide unsuitable accommodation and negatively affect the community around them. Although these changes will stop the unchecked rising number of HMOs, the council is committed to ensuring that good examples of this important, low-cost form of accommodation will remain available where needed.”
Councillor Peter Mason, leader of Ealing Council, said: “This decision shows that we are listening to the needs and concerns of our communities. Over the past 3 years, we have seen a rise in the number of complaints from residents in relation to poorly managed HMOs, which matches the increase of the conversion of family homes into HMOs.”
Councillor Mason added: “As well as concerns about noise and waste, we know that in some cases residents have been made to feel less safe in their community. We have been working closely with the police to tackle anti-social behaviour in affected areas. This new directive is another tool to help us create safer neighbourhoods in all of our communities.”
Councillor Shital Manro, Ealing Council’s cabinet member for good growth and new housing, said: “The private rented sector is a vital part of the local housing market, and the vast majority of landlords are decent and law abiding. But with a small minority of less scrupulous landlords, and local demand for housing growing all the time, it’s more important than ever that we support landlords to deliver better quality homes for their tenants. Better control of the small HMO market will enable us to foster safer, more harmonious neighbourhoods, while preserving low-cost housing options.”
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