Content

 
This
Council:
 
1.   
This Council notes the high cost of renting and
homeownership has forced a demand for families, singles and young
people into low-cost single room living options known as Houses in
Multiple Occupation (HMO).
 
2.   
This Council notes that this has in turn led to the
loss of family homes in the Royal Borough of Greenwich due to the
increasing trend of homes being converted to HMOs.
 
3.   
The Labour Government has hit the ground running
with a Renters’ Rights Bill, committed to building 1.5
million homes through its Plan for Change and investing £39
billion in social and affordable housing.
 
4.   
This Council has acted with the introduction of an
Article 4 Direction, which requires homeowners to seek planning
permission before converting a family home into an HMO. In addition
to our mandatory HMO licensing scheme, the Council has also
introduced an Additional HMO Licensing Scheme to ensure smaller
HMOs, where at least 3 people live, are covered and protected. This
goes above and beyond what is required by statue, providing
additional safeguards for our residents.
 
5.   
Since then, we have refused several planning
applications for HMOs in the borough and issued fines totalling
£1,083,500 to HMO landlords that have not licensed their
properties.
 
6.   
However, this Council recognises the pressure on
communities who are experiencing the impact of living with a
growing number of HMOs in their area, it also notes that not all
HMOs are managed to a high standard, and this impacts on the
community and its environment.
 
7.   
Where HMOs exist, they must be properly licensed. As
of the 23rd July 2025 there were 811 licensed HMOs in the borough,
(421 properties with a mandatory HMO license and 390 with an
additional HMO licensed). The expansion of our HMO compliance work
with landlords has resulted in 564 new HMO license
applications.
 
8.   
Planning applications for HMO conversions have been
increasing in recent years and months. Council notes that the
forthcoming consultation on a new Local Plan for the Royal Borough
of Greenwich due to be published in October presents an opportunity
to strengthen protections against the spread of HMOs and minimise
the further loss of family homes for which there is a high level of
need locally.
 
9.   
Council requests that the Executive, in developing
the Draft Local Plan, to:
 
·       
Take every available opportunity to strengthen
protections on HMOs and minimise the further loss of family homes
in the future (including, as part of preparation and evidence
gathering, considering the experiences and policies of other London
boroughs/local authorities).
 
·       
Start the consultations on a new Local Plan this
year to further regulate HMOs
 
·       
Introduce an oversaturation planning policy to
prevent new HMOs in highly concentrated areas in the
borough
 
·       
Ensures that there will be early and specific
engagement with local residents and ward councillors in areas that
have high (or increasing) levels of HMOs in recent years This will
support wider efforts to ensure maximum public participation in the
Draft Local Plan consultation
 
·       
Work with the Government to deliver a range of homes
to suit our communities’ needs, which will provide social and
affordable homes from purpose-built student housing through to
young professionals, growing families, and extra care and supported
living for those with additional support needs
 
·       
Welcomes the fact that every HMO in the borough
requires a license and this helps drive up the standards in the
private rental sector
 
·       
Scale up the promotion and enforcement of both our
Mandatory and Additional HMO licensing schemes to maximise coverage
and compliance across the borough.