Landlords protest at HMO licensing plans

Landlord pressure group Say No to Article 4 is campaigning against plans to tighten up controls on shared housing in Worcester.

The group aims to stop Worcester City Council from introducing Article 4 planning restrictions on houses in multiple occupation (HMOs).

The city has around 750 HMOs housing students, young professionals and other single tenants.

Landlords claim putting the case for every new HMO before planners is an expensive and unwieldy way of dealing with the issue.

In emails to councillors and MPs, the group said: “We are amid the biggest peacetime recession ever and the recovery is being held back by the construction sector.

“Article 4 will have a very negative effect on investment in housing and construction in Worcester – it shackles the free market.

“It denies people the right to live where they wish to. It will affect those who can least afford housing.”

The council explained article 4 does not mean no more HMOs in the city – just that the proposals have to go before planners for approval.

Charity worker falls foul of HMO licensing

Church and charity worker Jim Hewitt has to evict one of three tenants because as a live-in landlord his home becomes an HMO.

Oxford City Council wants him to apply for a licence or throw out one of his tenants – who were homeless or come from overcrowded homes in the city.

Hewitt, 68, has shared his home with lodgers with housing difficulties for 15 years.

At the start of 2012, Oxford was the first in the UK to introduce city-wide licensing for HMOs.

His home qualifies as any property with three to five unrelated tenants is deemed an HMO under the licensing scheme.

Hewitt was awarded an MBE for his charity work last year.

The Oxford Diocese and Hewitt have spoken out against the city’s housing policy – but the council says neither has applied for a licence although the council would be happy to consider an application.

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