June 18, 2010
To reduce burdens for landlords and town councils, the government has made it easier for landlords to rent out shared properties while improving local government control of rental communities.
Under Labour, new legislation introduced in April requires landlords to obtain planning permission if they want to let a property to three or more unrelated tenants, affecting student properties in particular.
But new Housing Minister Grant Shapps claims the government will terminate the idea, meaning individual councils decide in which areas landlords need apply for planning permission if they want to rent Houses in Multiple Occupation (HMOs) to unrelated tenants.
Under the current system, it is thought that up to 8,500 planning applications a year would have to be submitted by landlords to obtain planning permission for every HMO let out across Britain.
But, according to Mr Shapps, the changes will eliminate unnecessary costs and red tape for landlords, while giving councils the power to tackle negative elements attracted by dense pockets of HMOs, such as crime and anti social behaviour.
With the changes expected later this year, trade bodies have welcomed the government’s decision to remove “unnecessary bureaucracy”.
"The change in the law for shared housing was rushed. As a result, its implementation by councils has created uncertainty and confusion,” commented David Salusbury, Chairman of the National Landlords Association. “We are pleased to see the new Government responding to calls to rethink these unnecessary planning burdens on landlords."
