Industry News


London is leading the decline in Houses of Multiple Occupation


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arket analysis from specialist property lending experts, Octane Capital, has revealed that the number of HMOs in


England has declined in the past year, adding to the pressures in the private rented sector. Te latest data shows that, on an annual basis, the


number of HMOs in England fell by three per cent, from 511,278 in 2019/20 to 497,884 in 2020/21. Tis overall national decline has been driven by the London market where the level of total HMOs has declined by 13 per cent, by far the biggest reduction of all regions In the capital, 11 different boroughs have


reported a drop, with the biggest coming in Ealing where HMOs have declined by 59 per cent, followed closely by a 58 per cent decline in Lambeth. Redbridge has seen its numbers halved, and


Barnet’s decline sits at 37 per cent. Te number of HMOs has also declined considerably in Greenwich (down 34 per cent), Enfield (30), Wandsworth (18), Croydon (13), and Hillingdon (10). Jonathan Samuels, CEO of Octane Capital,


commented: “It’s only right that all efforts should be made to ensure the safety and wellbeing of the nation’s tenants and that everyone is afforded the right to a basic standard of living. “Te changes to HMO licensing have certainly


looked to ensure this, but as a result we have seen a decline in the level of operational HMOs across the rental market, particularly within London. “Tis essentially means that those reliant on the


rental sector now have even less choice when it comes to finding suitable, safe accommodation, but that’s not to say it can’t be found.” In 2018, the UK government introduced new regulations which require a Houses of Multiple


Ombudsman investigating reports of noise complaints


Te social housing ombudsman has launched a systemic investigation into noise complaints and is expected to issue a report later this year. Te investigation is exploring how social


landlords manage reports of noise nuisance and what drives complaints about how those are handled. It will enable the Ombudsman to make recommendations and share best practice across the sector – helping landlords to develop their services and improve the experience of residents. Te service has determined 848 complaints relating to noise over the last three years and


In the capital, 11 different boroughs have reported a drop, with the biggest coming in Ealing where HMOs have declined by 59 per cent, followed closely by a 58 per cent decline in Lambeth


Occupancy (HMO) licence is required for all properties that are occupied by five or more people who are not members of one family. Previously, a licence was only required for


properties of three storeys or more in which five or more people live and are not members of one family. In order to obtain a licence, all rooms in a HMO must exceed a minimum size and can only sleep a certain number of people over 10 years old.


identified maladministration in 41 per cent of cases. A call for evidence from social landlords and their tenants was made earlier this year and closed in mid May. Te lines of enquiry for the investigation include:


• How do policies around noise work in practice? • How do landlords work with other agencies? • What is successful in mitigating for/dealing with inherent modern noise?


• What is successful intervention? As well as survey responses, the Ombudsman


will draw on insight from its own casebook and from Resident Panel members, together with fieldwork in five landlords of varying size, type and location and their residents. It hopes this breadth of approach will ensure it can make far-reaching recommendations that promote greater understanding of the complexity of tackling noise complaints. Richard Blakeway, Housing Ombudsman, said:


14 | HMMJune/July 2022 | www.housingmmonline.co.uk Since 2018, the rules change, for which


the purpose is to ensure a better, safer standard of living for tenants, have been gradually rolled out across districts and boroughs. As a result, the number of HMOs on the market has decreased with many landlords choosing to offload their buy-to-let stock instead of negotiating more hurdles due to legislative changes.


“Noise complaints can have a particularly significant impact on residents causing deep frustration and stress, and it’s an area that also presents difficult challenges for landlords.” “We are keen to examine all aspects of noise


related complaints and particularly how complaints are managed under anti-social behaviour policies. Te statutory thresholds can be high and result in a lengthy process for residents while they may continue to experience the disturbance.” “Our investigation will examine the relationship


between anti-social behaviour and noise transference from our unique and independent perspective, so we can share best practice and learning across the social housing sector.” Te Spotlight reports are part of our ongoing


commitment to share insight from our casework and use our systemic powers to investigate beyond individual disputes to drive learning and improvements for the benefit of all residents. All reports are available on the Ombudsman service’s website.


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