Telford & Wrekin Council proposes new HMO licensing and planning controls
Plans to consult on proposals to help create and maintain safe homes and fair standards in houses in multiple occupation will be presented at a meeting of the Telford & Wrekin Council’s cabinet next week.
Under the new proposals, the Council would look to introduce additional licensing and an article 4 direction for houses in multiple occupation (HMO).
A building is an HMO if it is occupied by three or more people forming two or more households and sharing facilities such as kitchens and bathrooms.
Currently across Telford and Wrekin, only HMOs that accommodate five or more people, forming two or more households are subject to mandatory licensing.
While HMOs with more than six people are also subject to full planning permission and HMOs with six people or less can be established through permitted development rights.
The article 4 direction would remove the option for landlords of smaller HMOs to use permitted development rights and would therefore require them to seek planning permission for a new HMO, regardless of size. Existing HMOs would be unaffected by these changes.
The planning changes would allow the Council to know where all HMOs are located and to consider what the impact of new HMOs would be on the wider community and local services.
While the additional licensing scheme would extend licensing requirements to smaller HMOs, which are not currently covered by mandatory licensing.
The additional licensing would mean all HMO properties would be inspected for safety and hazard compliance and landlords would be required to manage issues such as anti-social behaviour.
Councillor Lee Carter, Leader of Telford & Wrekin Council, said:
“As a Council our priority is to protect, care and invest to create a better borough for the people who live, work and visit here.
“Several years ago, following public consultation, we launched the Better Homes for All initiative to raise standards in the rented sector and address poorly managed, unsafe HMOs. This programme has delivered real improvements across the Borough, with the Council working alongside key partners, including the police, to enforce standards. A number of successful prosecutions have driven significant upgrades to HMO properties.
“In 2021, we also introduced the Safer & Stronger Communities Project to help residents feel safer in their homes. This initiative also resulted in prosecutions and civil penalties where HMO conditions fell short.
“These actions built on the Government’s mandatory licensing requirements for HMOs with five or more occupants, which were introduced in 2018.
“While we’ve made great progress in recent years, we know there is still more to do to improve standards across the board. That’s why we believe introducing additional licensing and an Article 4 direction would create fairer standards for landlords and ensure more tenants live in safe, well-maintained homes.”
Councillor Richard Overton, Deputy Leader of Telford & Wrekin Council and Cabinet Member for Highways, Housing and Enforcement, said:
“When it meets next week, Cabinet will be asked to approve the first step in this process which will be a Borough wide consultation on the proposals, where we can capture feedback from key stakeholders including landlords, tenants and the wider community.
“By proposing to extend HMO licensing, we are seeking to create consistency across the sector, giving tenants greater protection and holding landlords to clear, enforceable standards. It would also strengthen the Council’s ability to take action against rogue landlords and ensures a level playing field for those who are doing the right thing.
“The proposal to introduce an Article 4 Direction would also give the Council greater control over where HMOs are located, helping to prevent over-concentration in certain areas and support balanced, sustainable communities.”
Members of the Council’s cabinet will be asked to approve a consultation process on the proposals when they meet next week, Thursday 4 December.
