Changes are coming to how HMOs are regulated. HMOs are Houses of Multiple Occupancy, where 5 or more people making up 2 or more households are sharing quarters.

Right now, licensing regulations only apply for 3+ storey homes, which omits most of the examples in Vale of White Horse.

The new regulations, expected later this year, delete the 3 storey criteria. That means there will be several hundred (a best guess) HMOs in Vale that will become subject to regulation. There will be a minimum room size per person, accommodation requirements, and requirements for rubbish storage capacity. I don’t know if there are local flexibilities; we really REALLY need parking regulations for HMOs.

This is good news for British renters at the lower end of the rental scale. They are often vulnerable and victimised by unscrupulous landlords, and these changes in regulations will help.

See more here: http://blog.shelter.org.uk/2016/10/license-to-thrill-new-changes-to-hmo-licensing-are-worth-getting-excited-about/