Council seeks views on plans to license and inspect all HMOs

A council has launched a consultation on proposals to introduce additional HMO licensing, which would mean all HMOs in the area would need to be inspected.

Telford and Wrekin Council has launched a 10-week consultation on the proposals and is asking landlords to have their say.

We want to make sure that homes in HMO sector are safe

Currently, in the area, only HMOs accommodating five or more people forming two or more households are subject to mandatory licensing. HMOs housing more than six people also require full planning permission, while those with six or fewer occupants can be established through permitted development rights.

The proposed Article 4 direction would remove the option for landlords of smaller HMOs to use permitted development rights, meaning planning permission would be required for any new HMO regardless of size. The council has said existing HMOs would be unaffected by the planning changes.

The council claim the proposals would allow it to identify the location of all new HMOs, while the additional licensing scheme would focus on improving safety and hazard compliance among landlords.

Councillor Richard Overton, Deputy Leader of Telford and Wrekin Council and Cabinet Member for Highways, Housing and Enforcement, said: “We want to make sure that homes in the HMO sector are safe, well-managed and meet fair standards, and the proposals we’ve put forward are designed to help us achieve that.

“The consultation is now live, and this is the moment when people’s voices are essential. Nothing has been decided yet, and we need residents, landlords and community organisations to tell us what they think so that any future approach is balanced, transparent and genuinely shaped by local people.”

Landlords in the area can view the consultation on Article 4 directions by clicking here and additional licensing by clicking here.

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