Brent Council in north-west London has approved plans to significantly widen local planning laws to clampdown on the spread of Houses in Multiple Occupation (HMOs).

The measures have been brought in following a public consultation that finished earlier this year and mean that most HMOs in the local area must now meet a new set of criteria to ensure they provide suitable, good quality living spaces for residents.

Landlords interested in renting out new HMOs across most of Brent are now required to seek planning consent in line with the guidelines in the new HMO Supplementary Planning Document.

The guidance sets out the minimum amount of space required for tenants in bedrooms and communal spaces along with a requirement to be well connected to public transport and close to shops. Landlords will also need to provide a plan for the management and upkeep of the property.

HMOs operating before 1 November 2022 will need to ensure they have a private sector landlord licence and building regulations approval. If there are more than six occupants, they also require the necessary planning permission.

The new rules complement the existing planning and licensing requirements and building regulations.

Cllr Sharma Tatler, cabinet member for Regeneration & Planning at Brent Council, said: “We have around 17,000 HMOs across the borough, with the majority run well and providing a good standard of accommodation for our residents.

“However, there are unfortunately some cases where landlords have let standards slip impacting both the tenants and neighbours.

“Everyone deserves to live in safe and suitable accommodation and our new guidelines will ensure HMO landlords are providing a good standard of service in an appropriate setting.”