Tenants are 'desperate' for Bognor Regis rooms a landlord tells Arun

The owner has applied to Arun for a lawful development certificate for the existing use as an HMO property at 60 Ockley Road. The accommodation comprises five bedsits with shared communal areas for a maximum of eight people and a maximum of five households.

In a planning statement the applicant said the Local Plan 'strikes a balance recognising the contribution of HMOs to the local ecomony as a source of housing for people on low incomes whilst recognising concerns over the clustering of HMO in the centre of Bognor Regis and its impact on local area amenities, noise and disturbance, generation of more refuse and off-street parking'.

She said the financial situation had led many landlords to leave the private rental sector and sell their properties and these 'are not being replaced'.

"We are receiving daily enquiries of people who say they are desperately looking for rooms because their landlords are selling," she said.

"As professional HMO landlord since 2005, we have been witnessing a chronic shortage of rooms available to workers on low income in Bognor Regis throughout this time judging by the number of enquiries which we and our fellow landlords are regularly unable to satisfy.

"It is often the case that new tenants move in in the afternoon when the former tenants left in the morning as they are desperate."

Her tenants were key workers working in care homes, hospitals, food production and distribution, shops and farms who were paid a minimum wage or on a zero hours contract and unable to 'obtain conventional tenancies or unable to afford them even though they work very hard'.

"There are a lot of businesses and farms who depend on these people within our local area and HMO accommodation availability is also essential for these businesses to attract and house their staff," she said.

To view the plans go to the Arun District Council planning portal and use the search reference BR/133/23/CLE.