Stephen Williams' views on Houses in Multiple Occupation
Regarding the new licensing regulations for Houses in Multiple Occupation (HMOs), the aim of the licensing introduced by the Housing Act 2004, which came into effect in April 2006, is to improve the management of HMOs and to identify properties in poor physical condition.
There have been a number of issues raised by landlords who are understandably concerned about the cost and practical implications of implementing the new regulations. I share concerns that government regulations should not make renting properties unfeasible. However, on balance I feel that introducing these standards is overall a positive move. They will go some way towards improving conditions in rented accommodation, and I do not feel that the demands they place on landlords are unreasonable. All political parties supported the introduction of these measures when the legislation was being drawn up; there was agreement that there was a sensible balance between cost and necessary improvements to the standard of accommodation provided to tenants.
It is important that the government takes steps to enable landlords to meet the new standards. My colleagues in the Liberal Democrats have argued that it is often difficult for private landlords to invest in improving their properties because of the prohibitive cost. To tackle this, we want to cut the VAT paid on repairs to homes. We also believe that the Government must work to foster bonds of trust between tenants and landlords, encouraging the work of landlords' associations like the CRLA to help foster good practice and training. There could be significant wider social repercussions of encouraging good practice in the renting of properties. An improved standard of rented housing can help lead to a reduction in antisocial behaviour, with a climate of responsibility in tenants and owners.
The criteria for identifying HMOs, too, need to be examined. I have a long interest in this matter, not just as a Member of Parliament, but also as a local councillor. I was first elected in 1993 to the then Avon county council for Cabot ward, which includes the University of Bristol precinct and the residential areas of Kingsdown and Cotham. These areas had then, and still have, high concentrations of student housing. Measures do need to be introduced to control student saturation in these defined areas. I have been grappling with the question of how a university and a residential community can coexist in harmony, as well as considering the other pressures created by such institutions around the city centre.
To this end I believe we need to reform the planning use class C3, which covers all domestic properties, to give HMOs a separate category. This would let us distinguish between different types of housing. It would be better if the Government were to trust local authorities to stratify the use classes themselves. In 2007 I signed Early Day Motion 1488, which proposes just such a reform. Property stratification might not be appropriate in some parts of the country, but it certainly would be in urban areas like Bristol, and so local government should have the power to stratify within the broad parameters of the use classes set by Parliament. Bristol City Council has put its support behind this issue, and by adding its voice to the already significant campaign, the Council has taken a huge step towards changing national Government policy, and giving power back to communities.
I need to emphasise that this is in no way an anti-student issue. I am a Bristol University graduate, and I lived in a shared flat in my third year. My constituency is full of similar people who originally came to the university but decided to settle in their adopted city. They have made it their home, and made it the vibrant place that it is. It is hard to imagine Bristol without either of its universities. Students make a significant contribution to the culture and economy of Bristol, and I certainly don't want to give the impression that they are not welcome here. Indeed, I believe Bristol's two universities and the students that study here are a real asset to the city. However, we need to make sure that contribution isn't overshadowed by the harm done in allowing communities to be damaged by not having a suitable balance between students and local residents.
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