HMO’s are ‘houses of multiple occupancy’. This term refers to households where there are several unrelated people sharing facilities. In many communities, HMOs are regulated and licensed to ensure the houses are fit for use.

Recently there has been renewed concern about HMOs in North Hinksey and Wytham ward. So I asked the Vale of White Horse officers about the facts of HMOs in our area. They provided me with information both from a planning permission perspective, and from a licensing perspective.

Here’s the reply I had from a member of the Planning Enforcement team:

Under the Town and Country Planning (Use Classes) Order, planning permission is not required for up to 6 unrelated individuals to occupy a dwellinghouse as their main residence sharing basic amenities such as a kitchen or bathroom.

Under the above order, the use of a dwelling by up to 6 persons does not constitute a material change of use of land from a dwellinghouse (Use Class C3). A material change of use to a HMO (Use Class C4) for which planning permission is required only occurs when the number of unrelated residents exceeds 6 persons. This is a rarity. Most landlords are aware of this distinction and operate within the 6 person limitation. They therefore remain unknown to the council.

I am advised by [an officer] from the Environmental Protection Team that the licencing regime for HMO’s is similarly limited to 5 or more residents and three or more storeys. HMO’s that are two storeys or less are not required to be licensed and as such the council has no record of these. Again the vast majority of HMO’s operate within the above criteria.

[The Environmental Protection Team] informs me that [there are] three HMO’s licensed in your area namely:

98 Arthray Road, Botley
1 Coles Court, Botley
2 Coles Court, Botley

I understand that the the Environmental Protection Team will be updating the information on the council’s website within the next three weeks, so that it has much more comprehensive information regarding HMO’s.