Comments on: HMO planning law changes causes consternation among landlords

By: zashrafahid

zashrafahid — Thu, 04 Nov 2010 20:46:11 +0000

Yet another law to make renting business more difficult.Most landlords are already fed up with unrealistic rights given to tenants out of which 90% are abused by tenants for not paying rent.If a house is issued hmo it is good enough to provide good accomodation to poor.This planning permission will reduce those numbers and more problems for renting.Govt gave a good statement in the start to abolish hunderds of impractical and useless laws instead of making more.

By: PainSmith

PainSmith — Mon, 26 Apr 2010 11:47:47 +0000

@Vagner A local authority cannot simply change the terms of a licence in this way. They need to follow a set procedure and you have the right to appeal the variation to the RPTS. The issue of room size is a difficult one which has been before the RPT several times. The local authority is not supposed to focus simply on the size of each room but should look at the property 'in the round' and the other amenities provided for the tenants. .-= PainSmith´s last blog ..CLG View on Tenancy Deposits After 1 October =-.

By: Vagner

Vagner — Fri, 23 Apr 2010 17:30:55 +0000

London’s Southwark council issued a HMO Licence to our property last year. Council’s Officers came to the property a few times to measure all the rooms and specify all the alterations needed to comply with the licence. We then did all the refurbishment necessary and the licence was issued. Now, one year later, they re-visited the property and subsequently sent us a letter stating that the license is to be changed. According to them there was a mistake and instead of 10 people we are to have only 5 people in the house as the rooms’ sizes do not comply with regulations. Can they do this? What can we do to stop them? This is ridiculous and so unfair. I don’t understand how they can legally justify it. They first force a landlord to spend thousands of pounds on refurbishment. Then they issue a 5 year licence, which I believe is a legal document. Then they come back and change everything again and the licence is no longer valid.

By: Nick

Nick — Thu, 25 Mar 2010 10:49:20 +0000

What does one do if the Local Council Licence specifically permits one person only in the Bedsit room, but she later becomes pregnant and brings home her new baby? So now there are two persons.

Does one breach the Licence by allowing her to stay, or do some other mother/baby rights come into play in these circumstances. Does one have the courage or morality to serve notice on a new born, because I don’t?

It is certainly wouldn’t look good in the media for the landlord nor I daresay for Authority.

By: Steven Hilton

Steven Hilton — Thu, 11 Mar 2010 15:47:19 +0000

Tessa/Angela

Very, very difficult.

The Statutory Instrument making the change does not need to be laid. Apparently it has been signed though, but not yet published.

Alongside the Order making the change is a second Order which will be laid before the 15 March. This second Order allows properties to revert to C3 class. But, evidently, the second Order is not needed without the first Order.

The NLA, alongside other organisations, have been trying its best to highlight to Government the likely outcome of such draconian regulations but they have been uninterested to listen.

It is General Election time and this makes for good policy with ‘middle England’.

I say no more.