Issue - meetings

To receive the report on the licensing of Houses in Multiple Occupation (HMOs) and the proposed discretionary additional scheme.

The Committee received the report on Housing in Multiple Occupation (HMO) Licensing and the proposed discretionary additional scheme for Harringey Ward and parts of St Ann’s and Noel Park Wards (pages 57-63 of the agenda pack). It was noted that the licence would only be relevant to 3 storey buildings.

In response to the Committee’s comments and concerns, Steve Russell (Housing Improvement Team Manager) explained the difficulty in controlling the number of HMOs.  It was estimated that there could be between 5,000 and 10,000 HMOs and that many properties had been converted without the relevant planning permission and could not be converted back to the property’s previous state due to 4 years elapsing since the conversions.  With newer conversions the Council’s enforcement team could only take action once a property was being inhabited as an HMO and landlords would be held to account and forced to obtain a licence and meet standards.  The Committee noted that landlords were going to great lengths to legitimise their work through “certificates of lawfulness”.

The Committee questioned whether local lettings agencies were assisting the Council in identifying unlicensed HMOs and encouraging landlords to have licences before letting out a HMO.   It was noted that the Council officers had visited all 30 agencies in Green Lanes and provided a booklet about services for all Houses in Multiple Occupation. 

RESOLVED to note the report.