Tougher rules could be imposed on HMOs across Arun

The council wants to make sure that houses in multiple occupation (or HMOs) are of a decent standard and not a ‘blight’ on neighbourhoods.

They usually have five or more people from two different households living together or sharing facilities like bathrooms and kitchens.

But new rules could mean landlords have to apply for a licence if they rent a property to three or more people from two different households.

This would apply to the Marine, Hotham, and River wards – areas of the district where HMOs are most common.

This is particularly urgent as HMOs in all three wards had a high number of safety issues which could lead to death or serious injury in some cases.

A recent report on the district’s 1,396 HMOs found that, whilst many are managed well, ‘this is not always the case’ with issues such as poor maintenance and anti-social behaviour.

It is thought that at least 100 HMOs are being run without the required licence in Arun.

It is hoped that proactive inspection and enforcement could address this but the extra work is expected to cost the council around £800,000 over five years.

On Thursday (July 14), the Environment Committee approved £40,000 for a consultation on the new rules.

The restrictions would not limit the number of HMOs in a given area – which has been a concern for councillors and residents alike – but they could improve conditions.

Nat Slade, group head of technical services at ADC, outlined how the new licensing rules could ensure HMO facilities are up to standard.

Landlord background checks could also be carried out and pro-active inspections would highlight repair issues.

Paul English (Con, Felpham East) was sceptical about the new rules which he said would not necessarily be the ‘magic wand’ needed.

Steve Goodheart (Ind, Hotham) also wanted action to reduce the increasing number of HMOs and said they are a ‘blight on Bognor’.

Mr Slade acknowledged that the new rules would not address all of the problems associated with HMOs, but said they would contribute to better quality homes for the people that live in them.