Changes this month to parking zones in Portsmouth will encourage more HMO's in the north of the city.
Among other changes agreed by the council this week, the cost of a third parking permit for households (with 3 cars) will rise from £120 to £510 in an attempt to encourage behaviours and discourage multi-car households in the most congested parts of the city.
PDPLA vice-chair Alwin Oliver was quoted in The News saying, "The increase in prices is absurd, and even worse for businesses. It won't put people off renting property in Portsmouth but it will impact ease of access in certain areas. The council seems to be just moving the problem around Portsmouth as people will start renting more property in areas with free parking"
The cost of a 3rd permit for a business user was already at this level so the change is purely targeted at multi-car families. Unfortunately it will also impact households of young, car owning professionals like doctors and IT workers who will look to move out of the city or into zone-free areas in the north of the city as the cost of living here becomes too great (and the option of using public transport to workplaces such as Whiteley continues to be untenable).
Our advice to our members when letting HMO's is to make clear in the contract who is entitled to the 1st (£30) permit, who the 2nd (£60) and so on or better still, aportion the overall cost equally between all inhabitants. The downside for all in Portsmouth is that with parking zones covering just 19% of the citys streets, the 'free' areas adjacent to existing zones will continue to be used as car parks by those avoiding these charges.