Ministers want to clamp down on houses of multiple occupation (HMOs) - homes rented by six or more unrelated people - as a part of a knee-jerk reaction to so-called ‘studentification’. Problems with anti-social behaviour have arisen around high concentrations of HMOs, drawing complaints from locals about litter, noise and towns becoming empty during holidays.
With a new consultation, the government is pressing ahead with measures to clear students out of residential areas, while immigrants, young professionals and others who rent HMOs will also be affected.
Property experts say that using planning laws to restrict HMOs will raise rents and drive out the students, young professionals and immigrants who rent them because they are affordable. Local businesses, particularly those which rely on student custom, also face being hit if students are driven out.
NUS has joined forces with property groups in condemning the plans as a ‘nimby’s charter’ which would create student ghettos and dictate where people live based on their income.
The British Property Federation, National Landlords Association, Residential Landlords Association and NUS all say the proposals will not help and that similar moves failed in Northern Ireland.
The property industry wants a local management option to tackle the problems without further legislation. This could take into account local circumstances and offer a cost effective solution to the problem.
Wes Streeting, NUS President, said "Students live and work within their communities and contribute hugely to their local areas through charity work and campaigning on local issues, not to mention the massive boost they give to the local economy. These proposals would marginalise students by forcing them to pay private companies to live in large ghettos away from the rest of the community. This would do nothing to improve community cohesion.
"We must also remember that it is not just students who live in HMOs. Many young professionals and migrant workers share houses - it is extremely foolish to propose that we displace all of these people in the middle of a housing crisis. It is critical that the government takes a thoughtful and consultative approach to any problems that may have arisen in certain areas, rather than resorting to an ineffective headline-grabbing initiative."
Amanda Williams, spokeswoman for UNITE, the UK’s leading student accommodation developer, said “HMOs and purpose built accommodation are both vital elements in the overall mix of private rented housing. However, there’s a significant variation in quality standards and UNITE believes that all landlords should adhere to a professional management plan and a code of standards. Students must be provided with a choice of accommodation, and adequate and appropriate housing should be planned and targeted.”
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