Across the UK, Houses in Multiple Occupation (HMOs) provide an important source of housing and have a legitimate role in meeting housing demand. However, planning decisions must also protect the established communities in which these developments are proposed.

Too often, residents feel that planning decisions are made to communities rather than with them. Concerns about parking, noise, waste management, residential amenity and the cumulative impact of multiple HMOs are frequently raised, yet many local people feel their evidence and lived experience are given little meaningful weight.

This campaign is not about opposing HMOs. It is about creating a planning system that is fair, transparent and accountable—one that balances the need for housing with the rights of existing communities.

We are calling on the UK Government to reform HMO planning policy by introducing the following changes:

1. Give Genuine Weight to Local Communities

Where more than 50% of households within a 100-metre radius object to an HMO application on material planning grounds, planning authorities should be required to give significant weight to that level of community opposition and publish a clear justification where permission is nevertheless granted.

Residents who live with the consequences of planning decisions every day deserve to know how and why their concerns have been addressed.

2. Require Applicants to Attend Planning Committees

Where a private HMO application is considered by a planning committee, the applicant or their authorised representative should attend the meeting to answer questions from councillors and explain how concerns regarding parking, waste management, noise, anti-social behaviour and property management will be addressed.

Communities deserve direct engagement from those seeking to make significant changes to their neighbourhood.

3. Base Parking Decisions on Local Evidence—Not Assumptions

Parking is one of the most common concerns raised by residents, yet planning decisions are often supported by generic assumptions about vehicle ownership that do not reflect local conditions.

Planning authorities should be required to consider:

Existing parking demand.
Local parking stress.
Visitor parking.
The cumulative impact of nearby HMOs.
Potential effects on road safety and emergency service access.
Decisions should be based on robust local evidence rather than standard assumptions.

4. Ensure Every Existing HMO Is Identified Before New Ones Are Approved

Planning decisions can only be sound if they are based on accurate information.

Councils should be required to proactively investigate credible reports of unregistered or unlicensed HMOs and maintain accurate records of HMO properties.

Before determining any new HMO application, planning authorities should confirm that all known HMOs—and any properties subject to credible concerns about HMO use within the assessment area—have been properly reviewed. Decisions about HMO concentration should never be based on incomplete information.

5. Strengthen Accountability and Transparency

Research from several local authorities has identified links between high concentrations of HMOs and increased complaints relating to noise, parking, waste management and anti-social behaviour. These are legitimate planning issues that deserve meaningful consideration.

Where planning policies have not been properly applied, or relevant evidence has been overlooked, there should be clear mechanisms for review and accountability.

A Fairer Planning System

This campaign does not seek to prevent HMOs.

It seeks to ensure that planning decisions are:

Based on accurate evidence.
Transparent and accountable.
Fair to both applicants and existing residents.
Consistent with adopted planning policies.
Focused on protecting the long-term sustainability of established communities.
Housing is essential. Strong communities are essential too.

A fair planning system should protect both.

If you believe local communities deserve a genuine voice, planning decisions should be based on accurate evidence, and councils should be held accountable for applying their own planning policies consistently, please sign this petition and help reform HMO planning across England.