Stoke-on-Trent City Council has unveiled plans to introduce new restrictions on Houses in Multiple Occupation (HMOs). The proposals include a cap on the total number of HMOs within each ward and a requirement for planning permission for new conversions.
Under the proposed city-wide Article 4 Direction, permitted development rights that currently allow family homes to become HMOs without a planning application would be removed. This means any future conversion would need planning permission.
The new rules aim to prevent clusters of HMOs. New HMOs would not be permitted if they would result in HMOs making up more than 5% of all residential properties within a 50-metre radius. Additionally, there would be a cap on the total number of HMOs within each ward, set at 4%, 2.5%, or 1.5% of residential properties depending on existing concentrations.
Councillor Duncan Walker, cabinet member for safe and resilient communities and housing, stated that the plans seek to balance meeting housing needs with ensuring high standards and preventing disproportionate impact on neighbourhoods. The council also proposes an additional licensing scheme for HMOs across the city, subject to consultation, to bring smaller HMOs into a regulatory framework and enforce standards.