Number of people living in shared homes tops 1,600

8:49am Saturday 11th August 2007

By Gavin Aitchison

MORE than 1,600 people in York are living in houses of multiple occupation (HMOs), new council figures have revealed.

As demand for property in York continues to soar, City of York Council says there are now 333 HMOs in their area.

HMOs are defined as any property of more than three storeys, occupied by five or more unrelated people.

The figure of 333 means at least 1,665 people are in HMOs, but the true figure is likely to be far higher, as many HMOs contain far more than five people.

They have to be licensed with the council, with the fee ranging from £450 to £705, depending on the precise size.

Council accounts show that last year HMO licences made the council £38,676.75 net. HMOs have only had to be licensed since the start of 2006/07, so comparative statistics are not available.

HMOs have been a source of bitter contention in parts of York, with residents increasingly concerned about family homes being converted into larger, shared properties.

Last year, in Badger Hill, more than 500 people signed a petition calling on the council to take action to curb the rising number of houses being converted in their neighbourhood. Residents have voiced concern about the impact on their quality of life, and also the potential detriment to local services.

David Scott, leader of the Labour group on the council, said it was important to be careful when considering planning applications for HMOs.

He said: "There are no hard-and-fast rules, but you have to be cautious and look at the location and the infrastructure around it, and also to make sure when these houses are done, that it's to a high quality as well.

"We know there is a high demand for housing and a wide range of housing, but this is not necessarily the answer to all.

"For instance, there is an application coming up in Burton Stone Lane for an 11-bedroom house, and we have concerns over whether it's the right place for that."

As recently reported in The Press, an application has been submitted for a 12-bedroom house in Lord Mayor's Walk, but the city's largest is a 20-bedroom HMO in Holgate.

Local councillor James Alexander said: "HMOs sometimes do not fit in with the density character of certain areas of Holgate. Getting their location right is extremely important for the HMO residents and their neighbours."

The sum made by the council from HMO licences last year emerged after The Press used the Audit Commission Act 1998 and the Accounts and Audit Regulations 2003 to inspect council accounts.