Student Accommodation:Layout 1 11/09/2009 14:28 Page 24
student accommodation
The ‘studentification’ of
neighbourhoods
The Government wants to clamp down on houses of multiple occupation (HMOs) – homes
rented by six or more unrelated people – to address the problem described as the
‘studentification’ of residential areas.
P
ROBLEMS associated with high Flexibility is needed
concentrations of HMOs in some The property industry wants a local
areas tend to focus around anti- management option to tackle the
social behaviour, drawing complaints from problems without further legislation. This
locals about litter, noise and towns could take into account local
becoming empty during holidays. With a circumstances and offer a cost effective
new consultation
(1)
, the Government is solution. “You can’t use the planning
considering whether planning legislation system for social engineering or to tackle
needs to be amended in order to tackle anti-social behaviour,” comments Liz Peace,
the issue. chief executive of the British Property
The proposals have attracted strong Federation. “Only a tiny fraction of places
Above: Concept House in Leeds, from student
opposition from student leaders and suffer from a high concentrations of
accommodation developer Unite. “HMOs and property groups who describe the HMOs and using a broad brush approach
purpose built accommodation are both vital scheme as a wholesale contradiction of to deal with different issues relating to
elements in the overall mix of private rented
social integration policies, arguing that anti-social behaviour makes no sense. It’s
housing. However, there’s a significant variation in
young professionals, immigrants and vital that the property market is left
quality standards and Unite believes that all
landlords should adhere to a professional
others who rent HMOs will also be flexible and we hope ministers will heed
management plan and a code of standards,” says
affected, along with local businesses that our warnings and reconsider going down
Unite’s Amanda Williams. rely on student custom. the legislative route.”
24 edbmagazine.co.uk
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