Additional HMO fees in Arun are approved

Additional fees for Houses in Multiple Occupation (HMO) with three to four tenants are set to come into force across River, Marine and Hotham wards in Arun district, after gaining approval from the council’s policy and finance committee at a meeting on Wednesday, December 6.

The new scheme will aim to improve the quality of HMOs in the district, and will be in place for five years, starting in the council’s 2024/25 financial year – with council officers saying it would help ensure confidence that there are ‘adequate safeguards’ for HMOs.

Cost of the scheme over the five years, £439,658, is expected to be covered by the fees generated, £466,136, according to council officers.

The new fees will see roughly £2017 total for a three to four person HMO in a house, and around £1852 for a three to four person HMO in a flat or apartment.

This came as a result of a recommendation from the council’s environment committee, after it conducted a ten week public consultation on the new scheme from June 12 to August 20 this year.

Results from 99 respondents saw 38.8 per cent of them disagree or strongly disagree with the proposed fees, and 20.4 per cent agree or strongly agree with the fees – with 55 per cent saying they did not agree properties were maintained to a good standard in the wards.

Council officers said the low turnout and the ‘number of letters and emails circulated’ seen during consultation, meant it was difficult to extract any certain results from it but there was ‘general’ support for the fees.