Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what guidance is issued to local planning authorities on managing concentrations of houses in multiple occupation within residential areas.

The National Planning Policy Framework requires local planning authorities to plan to meet an area’s identified housing need, including with an appropriate mix of housing types for the local community.

Local planning authorities already have planning powers to limit the concentration or proliferation of HMOs within their locality. They can remove the national permitted development right for smaller HMOs to protect the local amenity or wellbeing of an area by introducing an ‘Article 4’ direction which, once in place, requires all new HMO proposals to secure planning permission. We keep the powers to regulate HMOs under review.

Specific guidance is not provided on managing concentrations of houses in multiple occupation.