RLA: HMO restrictions 'have not been thought through'

News Category: Legal

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New government proposals to place limits on the number of houses in multiple occupation (HMOs) permitted in an area have been criticised as being potentially misconceived.

The possible regulations are being considered in response to concerns that certain areas are seeing a disproportionately large increase in student populations due to the number of HMOs.

However, the Residential Landlords Association (RLA) has suggested that the plans will only solve these problems in the short term.

The body drew attention to the fact that such regulations would leave many young workers and immigrants without places to live, as well as burdening landlords with large and expensive properties which will no longer be appealing to any tenant groups.

Mark Butterworth of the RLA said: "It's a small and vocal group of MPs who have formulated this policy and got the support of the new housing minister, but nobody seems to have thought it through."

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