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Local MPs Host HMO Forum

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Last month our local MP's, Stephen Morgan and Amanda Martin, hosted a forum focussed on issues with HMOs and PCC's perceived inability to enforce against them (we think 'enforcement' is completely the wrong term here but ..).  As one member who attended described it, "it was a NIMBY fest full of false info and misinformation ".  Not the fault of the MPs but anyway, read on for our summary...

The event

Held at the end of July on a wet Thursday evening, around 110 people turned out to meet local MPs and share their views on HMOs.  One member who attended said, " Apparently it is all the fault of planning for not having sufficient powers to drive HMOs into the sea. " - so the tone of the meeting was clear.

A couple of landlords spoke during the meeting but no others that we were aware of - it was described as 'at times heated but generally civil' which means it was a better and more balanced discussion of HMOs than we often see (and that includes discussions in the Council Chamber on this topic).

There was a lot of anger at the planning dept, perceived as inept, but the attendees sadly did not grasp what 'Permitted Development' is all about.

Sadly, one of the MP's repeated the fallacious 6,000 HMOs in Portsmouth figure which PCC really need to step up and admit was wrong.

After the event we did manage to share that if the figures were accurate, then at the current rate of enforcement it would take 373 years to find them all and we also managed to get the message across that there have been 5 rooms lost from small HMOs for every new room in a large HMO in the city, which few appreciate and none make the link between increased rents locally and homelessness which have both gone up as HMO room numbers have dropped - an inverse correlation which to us is obvious.

We also managed to discuss ASB issues and the link between PCC placing former homeless claimants in city HMOs, the lack of support when benefit misappropriation occurs and the possible link to organised crime, local drug dealers and ASB which this can engender.

As yet, we have seen  no follow up sent to attendees or published elsewhere, no notes or suggested actions, no decisions so fear it may just have been an opportunity for Labour MPs to lambast LibDem councillors, but we really hope it was more constructive than that.

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About the author

Martin Silman

Martin began his landlord journey 30 years ago, while working in an international role for a global telecommunications company. Since retiring he has extended his portfolio, which he manages with his wife, but has always focussed on the ‘small student HMO’ sector preferring to offer homes in the community for small groups to the more common ‘pack them in and take the money’ mentality. He has chaired the PDPLA for the past 12 years and has overseen the Associations transition from small local self-help group to a much larger and more professional institution which is recognised and listened to nationally. Alongside his PDPLA role, he also has leadership roles in a number of other local organisations – bringing his unique perspective, driving for change and increased use of technology while respecting the history that brought us here.

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