HMO confusion and frustration

Owain_Moneysaver

JustSteph wrote: »

I didn't know this was possible. From what I've heard, and read from my google searches, it has to be the landlords who do this, that it costs £2000 and takes a year to process.

Edinburgh charge £505 per year for 3-persons for a new application and £330 for a renewal.

The cost of any works necessary woudl be additional, of course.

However, AIUI, a resident owner can have two unrelated tenants and not require HMO registration. Landlord registration would still be required.

Councils also maintain, and are required to make public, a register of premises which have HMO licences.

jennifernil

http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Topics/Built-Environment/Housing/privaterent/government/hmo

It seems to cover all of Scotland now.

Many landlords do not want the expense of complying with the regulations, this has meant that many of the larger flats have been sold on, or are only available to families.


"We are trying to do this legally, but the law is forcing us to have to consider illegality."..............

Nobody is forcing you to rent a 3 bedroom flat, so I don't understand your gripe here.

jennifernil

Regarding couples......it is my understanding that, yes that is ok, they will count as one, the 3rd person as a second unrelated tenant. But you would be best to ring the council and check that out first.

Whether a landlord would accept that is another matter!

Owain_Moneysaver

JustSteph wrote: »

... I have 2 friends who are in a long-term relationship (though not married), would they be allowed to live with one other person?

My understanding is that a couple and a single would not require HMO.

However the couple would probably be expected to share a bedroom, so you might find it hard to get a landlord to let you a 3 bedroom flat for that arrangement.

jennifernil

Does your Uni not have a list of approved flats/lodgings?

Here in Glasgow the Unis have a shared database that lists flats that meet certain standards. to get on it you need to be registered and provide your gas certificate. You also have to provide a certain level of security, and agree to provide certain minimum furnishings.

jennifernil

The one we have in Glasgow is available on-line, have you checked the Uni's website?

Jowo_2

JustSteph wrote: »

Saying students have no great stake in the community is ridiculous. Your doctor was a student once.

Bad example. I shared student digs with someone studying medicine and he was a complete pig. Presumably now he probably owns his own property, has a family, and has transformed himself into a pillar of the community. But you wouldn't have wanted to have been his neighbour during his degree.

The tenement where I currently live are mainly owner occupied but the two rental flats which have been let out to student tenants have suffered badly with anti social behaviour from them (and they aren't HMOs so tend just have two students).

Students don't generally have great stake in the community - they are present in the place for a couple of years, regularly switching address there each year, and then mainly move away.

jennifernil

JustSteph wrote: »

Thank you.

This is true, but we can't afford the rent of a 2 bedroomed flat between 2 (£200/month each approx.), but we can afford a 3 bedroomed flat between 3 (£155/month each approx). There's a big difference.

I presume you must have checked rents? Don't know where you are, but a decent 2 bed place near Uni for £400 sounds very reasonable compared to rents in the West End of Glasgow.

And 3 beds for £465 unheard of!

jennifernil

Jowo wrote: »

Bad example. I shared student digs with someone studying medicine and he was a complete pig. Presumably now he probably owns his own property, has a family, and has transformed himself into a pillar of the community. But you wouldn't have wanted to have been his neighbour during his degree.

The tenement where I currently live are mainly owner occupied but the two rental flats which have been let out to student tenants have suffered badly with anti social behaviour from them (and they aren't HMOs so tend just have two students).

Students don't generally have great stake in the community - they are present in the place for a couple of years, regularly switching address there each year, and then mainly move away.

Totally agree!! Our daughter has a lot of problems with the 2 that rent the flat through the wall from her.

Jowo_2

DVardysShadow wrote: »

What should they do? Live in the woods and come out under the cover of dark to rape your women and children?

One of the key reasons why low income tenants, such as students, want to live together in larger groups is because larger properties work out cheaper. So it suits their needs but isn't ideal for their neighbours. There is loads of smaller rental accommodation in Glasgow. There are purpose built student residences operated by private companies.

One of the reasons why I won't live in particular parts of the city is because of the much higher risk of ending up with a student party flat. Essentially the residents then get stuck with anti social behaviour from Sept through to June.

http://www.heraldscotland.com/call-for-halt-to-flats-let-out-to-students-1.855291

http://news.scotsman.com/edinburgh/Marchmont-neighbourhood-party-aims-to.2628116.jp

http://www.timeshighereducation.co.uk/story.asp?storyCode=195500&sectioncode=26

http://www.journal-online.co.uk/article/2649-unite-launch-new-edinburgh-property-into-fraught-student-housing-market

Living in a different part of town with the occasional couple of student tenants in my building is enough to convince me that it must be hell to live in a tenement building that has a higher density of them, each year, every year.

This is a problem for many areas across the UK where many residents campaign to limit the number of HMOs and ensure they are more dispersed.