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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.