Houses in Multiple Occupation
Councils are currently making planning decisions on new Houses in Multiple Occupation (HMOs) and reviewing licensing schemes to manage their impact.
Croydon Council's Planning Committee approved a seven-bedroom HMO extension in South Norwood in April 2026, noting that changing from a six-person to a seven-person HMO is not generally considered a material change of use. In the same month, Greenwich Local Planning Committee deferred a six-bedroom HMO application in Plumstead due to concerns about parking, kitchen facilities, and sound insulation.
Greenwich's Local Planning Committee approved two HMOs in March 2026, one on Camdale Road despite resident objections and an eight-bedroom HMO on Eltham Hill despite size and noise concerns, while deferring another in Plumstead over cycle storage safety. Barnet Council's Planning Committee approved a retrospective five-bedroom HMO in March 2026. Separately, Harrow Council was set to discuss private sector housing licensing and HMO conditions in December 2025.
Hillingdon Council was considering a borough-wide Article 4 Direction to manage HMOs in December 2025. Sutton Council decided to notify residents of HMO applications in November 2025 due to concerns about parking, refuse, noise, and local amenity, and was considering extending mandatory licensing to all HMOs in September 2025. Houses in Multiple Occupation are properties where unrelated people live together and share facilities.
Key facts
- Croydon Council's Planning Committee approved a seven-bedroom HMO extension in South Norwood in April 2026. Source
- Greenwich Local Planning Committee deferred a six-bedroom HMO application in Plumstead in April 2026 due to parking, kitchen, and sound insulation concerns. Source
- Greenwich's Local Planning Committee approved a six-bedroom HMO on Camdale Road in March 2026 despite resident objections. Source
- Barnet Council's Planning Committee approved a retrospective five-bedroom HMO in March 2026. Source
- Harrow Council was set to discuss private sector housing licensing and HMO conditions in December 2025. Source
About this summary
This summary was written automatically from our published stories and the council meeting records they draw on. It describes what councils have discussed and decided; it does not take a view on any decision. Each key fact links to the story it comes from. Updated 30 September 2026. Spotted a mistake? Email community@opencouncil.network.