Council Group to look into issues of Houses of Multiple Occupancy

The council have established a task group to look into the issues arising from Houses of Multiple Ocuupancy (HMOs).

This comes following an increasing number of comments and issues concerning HMOs have been made.

Warwick District Council’s Overview and Scrutiny Committee have agreed to review the effectiveness of the current policies and arrangements held for HMOs.

The task group will be accumulating evidence from residents who live in areas that have a high concentration of HMOs as well as tenants also.

Andrew Mobbs, Distric council leader, was recently critisiced after campaigners claimed that the authority was doing little to curb Leamington’s growing student population, many of which are tenants of HMOs.

Station House was built opposite Leamington’s railway station four years ago, providing accommodation for around 400 students. Earlier this year, Warwick Distric Council passed permission for more accomodation to be built alongside the Grand Union Canal to house an estimated 200 students.

Campaigners hope the task group’s research, which will involve a survey of landlords of HMO properties, will help in determining whether additional measures to improve both licensing and management of these homes should be implemented.

Councillor Kristie Naimo, a member of the task group, commented: “it’s important we hear from landlords in order that we can work together to come up with some positive solutions”.

Council housing spokesperson, Peter Phillips said: “the output of the group will form an important part of the review of HMO policy in Warwick Distric dovetailing into the national policy review currently being carried out by the Government”.