Decision details

To agree recommendations arising from a study into HMOs in the City.

Matter for Decision

The report made recommendations on how the Council could improve its current approach, based on the findings of the project.

 

Decision of the Executive Councillor for Housing

 

The Executive Councillor resolved to:

 

Approve the following approach to dealing with Houses in Multiple Occupation:

 

(i)   Continue to use available methods of supporting and regulating landlord and letting agent activity, increasing the focus on this area of work following the recent appointment of a dedicated new member of staff.

(ii)   Support the introduction of an improved criteria-based policy for the Cambridge Local Plan which recognises the importance of HMOs but minimises the impact on the wider community.

(iii)                    Make better, more targeted information available to tenants on their rights and responsibilities. Information on waste management and recycling, deposit protection, and controlling mould-growth are particular priorities. Ensure that this information is accessible to those for whom English is not their first language.

(iv)                   Improve information available to tenants on longer-term housing options, including shared ownership and other intermediate tenures.

(v) Work with partners to explore options around procuring suitable shared accommodation in more affordable parts of the sub-region for single homeless people not in priority need. 

(vi)                   Improve working links between different Council services working with residents and landlords –including enforcement, waste management, housing advice, landlord and tenant liaison, etc

(vii)                  Improve monitoring information available within the relevant service areas, to better understand the issues arising from HMOs and trends over time, so that services can respond effectively.

(viii)                Improve engagement and communication with landlords and investigate whether this can be done jointly with other local authorities within the Cambridge sub-region.

(ix)                   That a review of the actions being taken be carried out in 1 years time to inform members of progress being made in tackling issues related to HMO’s. 

 

Reason for the Decision

As set out in the Officer’s report.

 

Any Alternative Options Considered and Rejected

Not applicable.

 

Scrutiny Considerations

The Committee received a report from the Housing Strategy Manager.

 

The Committee made the following comments in response to the report:

 

(i)             Raised concern over the low number of residents surveyed (152 living in the smaller privately rented HMO’s).

(ii)            Felt that more could have been done to identify HMO’s for the survey.

(iii)          Suggested that the wider community needed to be included in the survey in order to get their views on the wider impact of HMO’s.

 

In response to Members’ questions the Housing Strategy Manager and the Director of Customer and Community Services confirmed the following:

 

(i)             Officers regarded the 152 residents surveyed as a fair spread, and confirmed that the aim was never to have a fully representative survey.

(ii)            It had proved difficult to identify HMO’s and the cost of carrying out additional research had been a factor.

(iii)          Many local authorities experienced difficulty in identifying HMO’s. Oxford City Council and Peterborough City Council had been approached to share good practice.  

(iv)         One source of information for the survey was the Electoral Register.

(v)           The thrust of the work was to look at the smaller HMO’s which the Council knew less about, but it had proved difficult to identify them all.

(vi)         The rent levels for HMO’s noted in appendix 1 of the officer’s report came from publicly available information and not the survey.

(vii)        National research had highlighted issues such as anti-social behaviour, increased noise and parking issues as some of the ‘negative impacts’ of HMO’s.

(viii)      The Focus Group had included some of the 152 residents surveyed.

(ix)         The telephone survey had included 10 landlords and 10 letting agents.

(x)           The conclusion of the report was that there were no significant issues related to HMO’s that the Council was not already aware of.

(xi)         There was a requirement for leaseholders to inform the Council when they sub-let rooms.

 

The Executive Councillor for Housing confirmed that the aim of the survey was to look at the current landscape to identify any significant issues regarding HMO’s that the Council were not already aware of. No significant issues were identified and she felt that the survey was not flawed. It was also noted that an additional Environmental Health post had been added in order to address any issues of sub-standard HMO’s. 

 

Councillor Brierley proposed the following additional recommendation:

 

(i)   That a review of the actions being taken be carried out in 1 years time to inform members of progress being made in tackling issues related to HMO’s.

 

The Committee resolved unanimously to endorse the additional recommendation.

 

The Committee resolved (by 4 votes to 0) to endorse the recommendations.

 

The Executive Councillor approved the recommendation.

 

Conflicts of Interest Declared by the Executive Councillor (and any Dispensations Granted)

No conflicts of interest were declared by the Executive Councillor.