Issue

Houses in Multiple Occupation

16 stories · discussed at 1 council meeting · 9 councils

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

  1. Croydon Council's Planning Committee approved a seven-bedroom HMO extension in South Norwood in April 2026. Source
  2. Greenwich Local Planning Committee deferred a six-bedroom HMO application in Plumstead in April 2026 due to parking, kitchen, and sound insulation concerns. Source
  3. Greenwich's Local Planning Committee approved a six-bedroom HMO on Camdale Road in March 2026 despite resident objections. Source
  4. Barnet Council's Planning Committee approved a retrospective five-bedroom HMO in March 2026. Source
  5. 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.

Stories, page 2

  1. Harrow Council to Discuss Private Sector Housing Licensing, HMO Conditions, and Waste Scheme Harrow Council is set to discuss private sector housing licensing at a Cabinet meeting on 18 December 2025. The council will review selective licensing and licence conditions... Harrow 22 December 2025
  2. Hillingdon Council Addresses Declining Street Cleanliness, Considers HMO Regulations, and Reviews Annual Performance Hillingdon Council is considering a borough-wide initiative to address declining street cleanliness, as raised in a motion by Councillor Elizabeth Garelick at a recent council... Hillingdon 1 December 2025
  3. Sutton Council to Notify Residents of HMO Applications Sutton Council is set to enhance transparency in its planning processes by notifying residents of Houses in Multiple Occupation (HMO) applications. The decision came after a... Sutton 5 November 2025
  4. Sutton Council to Review Business Improvement District Sutton Council is set to review its Business Improvement District (BID) following concerns raised by councillors regarding the organisation's effectiveness and value for money.... Sutton 5 November 2025
  5. Sutton Council Spent £100k on Unusable Toilet Sutton Council is under scrutiny after spending £100,000 on a Changing Places Toilet (CPT) at Beddington Park Pavilion, which was closed shortly after completion because the... Sutton 5 November 2025
  6. Kingston Council to Debate Tighter HMO Rules Kingston Council is set to debate stricter regulations on Houses in Multiple Occupation (HMOs) following concerns about their impact on the borough. Kingston upon Thames 18 October 2025
  7. Sutton Council Considers Extending HMO Licensing Sutton Council is considering extending mandatory licensing to all Houses in Multiple Occupation (HMOs) in the borough, regardless of size. Sutton 22 September 2025
  8. Harrow Council Proposes Expansion and Updates to Selective Licensing Scheme Harrow Council is proposing to extend its selective licensing scheme to several new areas and update the conditions for Houses in Multiple Occupation (HMOs) to improve housing... Harrow 29 July 2025