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A consultation has now launched on the proposed measures , which will apply to England . The proposed minimum room size is 6.52 square metres for single occupancy and 10.23 square metres for a two people .
The government plans to introduce the changes during 2016 . In addition , the government is also seeking views on whether the current licensing arrangements for purpose built student accommodation are appropriate .
Under the Housing Act 2004 an HMO is defined as a building or flat where the basic facilities are shared , such as a kitchen , bathroom or toilet , by people three people forming more than one household . A building will also be an HMO if it is a poorly converted block of flats
and less than two thirds of the flats are occupied by owners .
Powers in the Housing and Planning Act , which are also being introduced will further crackdown poor quality homes by introducing a database of rogue landlords and property agents , banning orders for the most prolific and serious offenders , penalties of up to £ 30,000 and extended rent repayment orders .
David Smith , policy director at the Residential Landlords Association , said : “ We agree that tackling criminal landlords must be a priority . We wait to see the full details , but powers are already available to tackle overcrowding which is about the number of people crammed into a room , not the size of a room .
“ What is needed is proper enforcement of existing powers .”
TOP PROBLEMS REPORTED IN NON-LICENSABLE HMOS
• Fire Safety
• Poor Management
• Overcrowding
• Excess Cold or Insulation Issues
• Electrical and Gas Safety
• Lack of Amenities
• Waste / Refuse Issues
• Safety Measures
Source : ‘ Extending Mandatory Licensing of Houses of Multiple Occupation - A Government Response ’. Local authorities respondes to ‘ What are the most significant problems routinely encountered in non-licensable HMOs ?’
Membership goal for campaigning Wiltshire lettings agency
Martin West , mlettings ’ owner and managing director
An independent letting agency in Wiltshire , whose owner is calling for the rental sector to be regulated , has been awarded membership of its professional body . mlettings ’ owner and managing director Martin West , a champion of regulation for the sector , believes mlettings is the largest independent letting agency in the area to hold the prestigious Association of Residential Letting Agents ( ARLA ) membership .
The Cricklade-based company had to undergo a rigorous inspection of all its processes and Martin had to pass National Federation of Property Professionals ( NFoPP ) examinations before he and mlettings were invited to join ARLA , the leading professional body for the rental sector . “ We ’ re delighted to have achieved the ARLA membership , as it ’ s an endorsement of the high level of service we provide for our landlords and their tenants ,” he said . “ We specialise only in lettings – we ’ re not an estate agency – which makes us real experts in the rental sector .” mlettings was founded 14 years ago and operates with a dedicated team of five from offices in Cricklade High Street . The company deals with residential rentals in the Swindon , Chippenham and Cirencester area . Martin , who has been a landlord himself since 1987 , is a firm believer in bringing regulation into the rental sector to protect landlords and tenants . “ We are lucky in Wiltshire and the Cotswolds , as Swindon , Cirencester and the surrounding area are very well served with quality letting agents , doing a good job for their clients ,” said Martin . “ But the sector is completely unregulated and this needs to change . By joining ARLA we are also joining its campaign to bring in legislation to the sector .” Currently , only ARLA licensed agents and some National Association of Estate Agents ( NAEA ) agents are required to join the Client Money Protection scheme , which is designed to protect client money held by property agents . Martin would like to see this imposed on the sector as a whole . He said : “ We have a huge shortfall in the housing stock in this country , and it is the private rental sector which is filling this gap for the Government . I am sure in the next two to three years with the support of other responsible letting agents and national legislation , regulation will come into the sector to make it safer for landlords and tenants . Then everyone will have to follow the example of those agents – like the team here at mlettings – who are offering a quality , professional service .”
4 Landlord & Buy-to-Let Issue 69 • November 2016