Bognor residents call for action over concentration of HMOs
Residents in Bognor Regis are calling for action over the number of Houses in Multiple Occupation (HMOs) in their neighbourhoods, following an open letter sent to Arun District Council.
The Nyewood Estate and Sunnydale Park Estate Residents Association (NESPERA) wrote to the council’s chief executive, leader and planning committee on October 5, raising concerns about the concentration of shared rental properties in Marine, Hotham and Orchard wards.
The association claims the number of HMOs across Arun has increased by around 35% since 2020, despite measures introduced to improve property standards and give the council greater control over new shared housing.
However, the council stated increases in licensing figures ‘do not necessarily mean an equivalent rise in the number of properties, as additional licensing has brought existing HMOs into the licensing system for the first time’.
NESPERA’s map, updated in April 2026, identified around 100 licensed HMOs in Marine Ward alone. The association questioned why a planning report referred to an estimated 193 HMOs in the ward.
The council explained that the figures came from different sources: the lower figure related to licensed properties on its public register, while the higher figure was an estimate from a 2022 study that included properties not necessarily covered by licensing requirements at the time.
In its letter, NESPERA said: “The issue is not simply the number of individual licences granted. It is the cumulative impact of successive HMO approvals and the resulting change in the character and balance of particular streets and neighbourhoods.”
The association raised concerns about the impact of shared housing on parking, rubbish, noise and the character of residential streets, arguing that the combined effect of multiple HMOs needs greater consideration.
It has called for more information about HMO numbers, complaints, planning decisions and enforcement action. It has also proposed temporarily stopping further HMO applications in Marine and Hotham wards until properties are more evenly spread across the district.
The association said: “A policy cannot be judged solely by the measures introduced. It must also be judged by their outcomes.”
It stressed that it wanted to work with the council to find practical solutions.
In its response, council chief executive Dawn Hudd and council leader Councillor Martin Lury acknowledged residents’ concerns.
The council revealed that Marine Ward recorded 94 HMO-related service requests during 2025/26, compared with 44 in Hotham and 14 in Orchard. It cautioned that these figures do not necessarily represent proven incidents of anti-social behaviour.
Responding to NESPERA’s proposed halt on new HMOs, the council said it ;does not have the legal ability to impose a blanket embargo on HMO planning applications in particular wards’ without the necessary planning policy and supporting evidence.
The council added: “We recognise that the concentration of HMOs in parts of Bognor Regis is a matter of genuine concern to many residents and community groups.”
The authority added it is reviewing the evidence behind its existing planning controls and plans to assess its additional licensing scheme before it expires in 2030 and will ask officers to consider whether communication between residents, landlords and property managers could be improved.