Proposals to crack down on Houses in Multiple Occupation by making their owners apply for planning permission if they want to convert homes into shared accommodation, have been attacked by an agent.
Ian Sanford, of Pennington Homes in Huntingdon, said that a couple of tenants with an elderly mother living with them have been told that once the legislation is introduced, planning permission for such a property would have to be sought and, if achieved, the property would have to be registered as an HMO.
Sanford said that he had spoken to the local authority and been advised that in such cases, the total cost would be around £1,000. He was told that such a property would be treated as an HMO because it would have two households living in it.
He said: “I fully understand the reasoning behind the legislation, but it has been badly thought out.”
He said most landlords would not be prepared to meet such costs, thus making similar arrangements impossible in future.
Sanford has brought the matter to the attention of shadow housing minister Grant Shapps.
The new HMO proposals have already come under fire for being anti-landlord.
Comments
What an utter load of nonsennse. This Government is legislation mad. How is this is anyway going to combat so called 'rogue' landlords who convert buildings without planning permission? They will still continue to use a building as flats and after 4 years get a Certificate of Lawful Use. This is yet another completely ridiculous proposed law to try and earn the Government more money and would seriously damage those people who wanted to have flatmates as they would then have to go to the ridiculous procedure of applying for planning! Stop it now Labour
Legislation! Legislation! Legislation!
This Government is crazy about legislation - not just the property profession, but on everything in life!.
Get rid of them!