Coventry City Council looks set to adopt a planning policy which will manage the construction or conversion of homes into Houses of Multiple Occupation (HMO).
A report will go to Council later in March when it is hoped a HMO Development Plan Document (DPD) will be formally adopted.
It will provide the necessary policy basis to help applicants so that they are clear about what is expected when bringing forward HMO proposals in the city.
It will also mean stricter rules. Anyone seeking planning permission for a HMO will need to review a checklist of conditions, from parking availability to managing litter and waste, before they can consider putting in a planning request.
In September 2023 the Council approved an Article 4 direction to restrict the scope of new HMO developments across a number of neighbourhoods in the city and the adoption of the Homes in Multiple Occupation (HMOs) Development Plan Document (DPD) adds further powers to the Council.
The adoption of the HMO Development Plan will provide a detailed framework for assessing planning applications.
Cllr Naeem Akhtar, Cabinet Member for Housing and Communities, said: “HMOs provide housing for many people, but they can also cause a lot of problems especially in local areas where there is a high concentration of HMOs.
“I regularly listen and talk to people with concerns about the impact of HMOs where they live. That’s because, with lots of people living together, it can bring with it disruption, more litter and waste and there can be extra pressure on parking and noise.
“We also want to prevent potentially harmful concentrations of HMOs and ensure that high standards of accommodation, amenities, and a positive range of housing choices are created across the city.
“By managing areas more effectively, we will encourage more homes for families and having the HMO Development Plan Document in place will help us do this.”
Where an application for new HMO is made, it must show that it is appropriate and be well-integrated within the local area.
The HMO Development Plan Document also advocates for higher quality housing and management which helps to promote good relations between our communities.
The areas where new HMO developments require planning permission and where the HMO DPD policies will be applied include: Cheylesmore, Earlsdon, Foleshill, Lower Stoke, Radford, St. Michaels, Sherbourne, Wainbody, Whoberley, Westwood and Upper Stoke.
A report outlining the details of the HMO Development Plan Document will go to full Council on 25 March 2025.