City could bring in tougher rules for HMOs

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Councillors in Newport have set their sights on tougher rules for houses in multiple occupation (HMOs), seeking more transparency and regulation.

HMOs are typically properties for single, unrelated adults who have their own bedrooms but share other communal areas like kitchens or bathrooms.

Applications for new HMOs often meet resistance from communities who fear the properties will cause extra pressures on their neighbourhoods, among other concerns. 

Many councils including Newport place restrictions on how many HMOs can exist in a neighbourhood, and also require larger properties to be licensed.

But a new notice of motion, due to be debated at a full council meeting next week, warns a “disconnect” between planning and licensing permissions risks “potentially undermining community confidence, local planning policy, and enforcement efforts”.

The motion is due to be proposed by Cllr Mark Howells, who heads the Lliswerry independent group, and seconded by council leader Cllr Dimitri Batrouni.

It alleges gaps between licensing and planning procedures mean licences can be granted “even where no planning permission is in place for use of the property as a HMO”.

“This situation has led to the granting of HMO licences in circumstances where planning breaches exist, damaging public trust and creating a perception of regulatory failure,” the councillors said in their proposed motion.

If approved at next week’s meeting, the council motion will state “better integration between planning and licensing decisions is essential for transparency, public confidence and effective housing regulation”.

It also states people who “deliberately” flout planning rules “should not be deemed ‘fit and proper’ to manage HMOs without further scrutiny”.

The council is also running its own review of Newport’s HMO policies, and if the motion passes, it will call on the Welsh Government to bring in new rules to “mandate” the linking of HMO licensing and planning permissions.

It will also ask the government to provide “clear powers” to revoke licences when there are breaches, and bring in better enforcement tools for landlords who operate HMOs “in deliberate breach of planning law”.