15-month delay in HMO register sparks criticism from MP
Portsmouth North MP Amanda Martin has criticised Portsmouth City Council for failing to maintain an up-to-date public register of Houses in Multiple Occupation (HMOs).
Local authorities are legally required to keep a current list of licensed HMOs to ensure transparency and help residents stay informed about housing changes. Portsmouth’s online register, however, is now over 15 months out of date.
Martin raised her concerns directly with council leader Cllr Steve Pitt, following previous attempts to obtain an updated list which she says were denied.
“Recently, I raised the issue of a local Portsmouth family seeking a home with the council,” she said. “It was then revealed that it would take an astonishing 12 years to house all the families currently on the council’s waiting list for a four-bedroom home – without even accounting for any new families joining the list.”
She warned that the situation is worsening due to the ongoing conversion of family homes into HMOs, citing streets such as Balfour Road, Chichester Road, Cardiff Road and Laburnum Grove.
“While I understand there may be technical issues affecting the publication of the HMO list, it has now been over 15 months since the last public update. This is unacceptable,” she added. “The absence of this information leaves residents in the dark and undermines our community’s ability to engage with and respond to the housing challenges we are facing.”
Martin urged residents to contact her office if they believe there is a non-registered HMO on their street.
In response, Cllr Steve Pitt said: “We are currently experiencing technical issues with the software used to publish our public register of licensed HMOs. The license database is up to date; however, the public register is not displaying HMO properties which have recently had changes applied to their licenses.
“We are actively working with our software provider to resolve this issue and are committed to making the full and accurate register publicly available as soon as possible. However, members of the public can get information on all HMO properties in the city by searching for individual licensed properties on the public register or requesting a copy of the current HMO register via email.”
The council has not confirmed when the register will be fixed and that they will respond directly to Amanda Martin MP’s letter.