Neighbour's house - Multiple tenants living there, HMO soon? Can I object?

hamzab

Hi

Next door to me there is a normal 3 bedroom 2 storey house. This has now had a loft conversion added to it and is also having a 6m rear extension added as we speak.

At the moment there are at least 10/15 people living there in 4 bedrooms, and the situation is already bad. The front is messy and rubbish is left out which the foxes tear up. I'm worried once the extension has been added, the landlord will rent out the extension to another 3/4 people.

Now I understand the landlord will be applying for a HMO, as his house is now 3 stories high. Can I object to this HMO? As in all honesty, we live in a quiet suburban street, and i'm not too keen on having 10/15 unrelated people living next door to me who go in and out at all times of the day and night.

The neighbours are also not happy due to the mess, and the fact that this quiet family street has now essentially got a bed and breakfast.

Thanks

marksoton

First stop is your council environmental health department.

Screw what's coming, it's currently unacceptable in most cases.

hamzab

marksoton wrote: »

First stop is your council environmental health department.

Screw what's coming, it's currently unacceptable in most cases.

Thanks for your reply.

I'm having difficulty in finding out how I can object to the HMO.

Also, how many people can technically live in a 4 bedroom house?

mum2one

At a guess a 4 bed house you could say 8 adults / 4 children. A child under 5 could technically share the parents bedroom...

I would get the council involved via the environmental health and go from there. x

hamzab

mum2one wrote: »

At a guess a 4 bed house you could say 8 adults / 4 children. A child under 5 could technically share the parents bedroom...

I would get the council involved via the environmental health and go from there. x

Thanks. I will be contacting the environmental health people soon.

Do you think it's worth gathering the other neighbours and write a letter to the council, objecting the HMO on the grounds of noise and mess etc?

cheap-information

If the 15 people currently living there are not one family, it sounds as if it should be an HMO already?

anselld

If you are talking about HMO Licensing then there is not a process for neighbour consultation or objection. The Council will determine the application based on the amenity standards of the property and that the applicant is a "fit and proper person".

If, on the other hand, you are talking about a planning application for C4 use in an area where permitted development is restricted via an Article 4 Direction, then yes you can object via the normal planning consultation process.

moneyistooshorttomention

Ring a Councillor and ask them if the area as a whole has restrictions to the number of HMO's allowed and generally pick their brains on best way to proceed.

Pixie5740

I take it your neighbour has already applied for planning permission for the extension or do you and the other neighbours still have time to object?

Assuming you're in England or Wales you should check with the local council about HMO licensing as it can vary from council to council. You might find that this property should already be licensed.

davidmcn

anselld wrote: »

If you are talking about HMO Licensing then there is not a process for neighbour consultation or objection.

Depends where the OP is - there's an advertisement / objections / committee process in Scotland.

macman

You should not be objecting to the HMO 'on principle'. You should be complaining about the potential health hazard caused by litter and overcrowding, and reporting the LL if the property is being used as but not registered as an HMO, which is a serious offence.
You can't object to people 'coming and going at all hours' either.