Portsmouth HMO database criticised ahead of major planning changes
Council backs motion to improve HMO records amid concerns over accuracy
Councillors have called for a more accurate HMO database, ahead of government reforms that will change how they are decided.
A full Portsmouth City Council meeting has backed a motion calling for a more up-to-date database of Houses in Multiple Occupation (HMOs), amid concerns over the accuracy of existing records.
HMOs have been a contentious issue in the council chamber for years, with some arguing that the market is oversaturated, while others welcome them as an affordable housing option.
Introducing the motion, Councillor Carl Inman stressed that it was not about “being for or against HMOs” and voiced his support for “responsible landlords” in the city.
“Portsmouth has one of the highest amounts on HMOs in the south – tensions have focused on central Southsea but increasingly we’re seeing applications emerge in Fratton, Copnor, Hilsea and now far beyond.”
He said this made it “even more important that the council has the most accurate information available”.
Cllr Inman said the current statutory register of HMOs had been inaccurate on “numerous occasions”. He cited a planning committee meeting where an applicant’s HMO licence, issued months earlier, did not appear on the register.
He also highlighted that some properties had historically operated as HMOs and therefore “benefit from lawful existing use rights”, meaning they might not appear on the register.
He said the motion should be passed to provide a “complete picture of HMO provision across the city”.
In response, the cabinet member for housing, Cllr Darren Sanders, welcomed the motion but clarified that the “system is under regular review anyway”.
He explained that licensing software had previously prevented frequent updates, but the issue had now been fixed. The register is now updated monthly rather than quarterly.
The motion comes as planning applications for HMOs are set to undergo changes, with applications no longer eligible to go before a planning committee and instead being decided by council officers.
The changes form part of new regulations introduced by the government this year and are due to come into force on October 31.