HMOs: When will they say ‘enough is enough’

I WAS interested to read your articles both last week and today in the Loughborough Echo regarding the HMO in Silverton Road – both the application and the planning officer’s outcome.

We live next door to a HMO; permission was granted with the owner living at the property.

It is slightly different as we are not semi-detached and we are under another council but the rational we were given was very similar – and equally wrong.

I really felt for the residents of Silverton Road as both planning officer and planning committee’s decisions have huge impact not just on the immediate neighbours but also on the community. I appreciate every situation is different but here is our account and suggestions/information based on evidence…

Firstly, these officers should have a degree of empathy and I believe – as any good decision maker should do - the individual(s) on the planning committee who make these decisions should also live next to a HMO to validate how it feels.

Secondly, they shouldn’t make assumptions. I see a number of assumptions in your article by Councillor Hilary Fryer:

“..although HMO’s had caused problems in the town, there we some tenants who were very good….”

So, there are some who aren’t. How do you know who will be living at this HMO?

There is also the factor that ‘we shouldn’t presume the tenants are 18 or 19 year old students… ‘. Well, again, they might be…. We can equally presume they may be…

Then: “To presume they are going to expect problems, I think does dis-service”.

How does she know? Does she have a crystal ball? To go back to the first point – does she have evidential experience of this herself? I’m assuming not!

She talks about being reassured that the landlord will be living in the residence. Will this be 24/7?

Our neighbour lives next door but the noise levels go up when he isn’t there.

There is – as mentioned – the impact of noise; both vocally and transport. However there is also the consideration of the type of language used. Often in families – as your resident has alluded to noise levels are controlled. Residents left to their own devices can choose how they speak using expletives without concern or care towards others.

Another issue to consider is how will the standards be maintained and audited at the property? We have to continually press for improvements, initially promised and not followed up on.

Are the council happy to be on the receiving end of continual queries and complaints from neighbours? From experience, tenants in these properties don’t care for property in the same way an owner would.

I also agree with the residents dismay at the planning officer’s report – noise levels of the property with the HMO are unlikely to be more than that of a large family.

This was exactly the phrase they used in the report when granting our neighbour his HMO. Trust me, from experience, this is wrong! The noise levels fluctuate, and as neighbours you don’t know who from (or indeed who even lives there).

There is also the economic factor – this will undoubtedly devalue the neighbouring properties.

This will bring the cry, “NIMBYism!” Yes. Too right. When you work hard to purchase a property and strive to keep it in good condition, have a good quality of life for both you and your family you expect to be able to enjoy it and reap the rewards.

When you are living next to a HMO – as any estate agent will tell you – it devalues both your property and your quality of life.

So, social impact has already been mentioned; not only do the residents not become part of the community, the community doesn’t become part of their existence either.

The transport – the volume of cars, coming and going, the noise and disruption; off-road parking, constant stream of visitors; been there, done that…

This decision will change the landscape of the street, depersonalising it.

Yes, I may be wrong with this application .. but councillors need to consider every eventuality in making decisions and primarily that should be on the best interests of their existing community not just making wildly optimistic assumptions and hoping this quietly goes away

I think a wider issue needs to be debated about where HMOs should be allowed; residential areas clearly don’t always work.

In Nottingham City Council they are reducing the number – it has changed the landscape of the community totally and so there are no/very few acceptances of these applications.

At what point to Charnwood, based on it’s experiences decide, enough is enough?

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