The conversion of a property into a six-room house in multiple occupation (HMO) to accommodate 10 people is among five such applications submitted in Brent this month.
The North London borough has received five applications for HMOs in the past few weeks which are waiting to be decided on amid calls to pause all HMO approvals locally. With HMOs in the private rental sector increasingly being used to address a shortfall in social housing, many London councils are looking to introduce tougher rules to drive up standards and make them safer, as well as controlling how many family-sized homes are lost.
Brent Council has implemented a new licensing scheme for smaller HMOs with fewer than five tenants – to go alongside the existing requirement for all larger HMO landlords to be licenced. This was due to evidence that a significant number of this type of housing are “still substandard and potentially dangerous”, according to the local authority.
The rapid growth of HMOs across the capital is unpopular with many local residents, with concerns that their influx leads to reduced numbers of family-sized homes, increased antisocial behaviour, and imbalanced communities.
The new applications submitted to Brent Council this month are as follows:
104 Kenwyn Drive, Neasden – To be decided
This is a plan to convert a residential property in Neasden into a six-bedroom, 10-person HMO. The development will include only internal alterations with adding toilet and shower units to four of the bedrooms.
The renovation to turn the property into an HMO is expected to cost in the region of £2m, according to the form submitted by the applicant. The floorplans filed show that all of the bedrooms, which would be spread across the ground, first, and loft floors, all meet the minimum space requirements.
However, the plans appear to show only one internal communal space – a kitchen – which totals 12.2sqm. For an HMO of this size, guidelines suggest that the communal space should be approximately 50sqm. The property does have a rear garden, which could contribute towards the total space, but the size is not outlined on the application. There is no dining or living room within the property, according to the floorplans.
3 Oak Gardens, Edgware – To be decided
Plans to convert a three-storey semi-detached house in Edgware into a five-bedroom, six-person HMO have been submitted to the council’s planning department. The rooms would be spread over ground, first and loft floors, with a private garden to the rear of the property.
All of the proposed six bedrooms would exceed the 12.5sqm minimum requirement set out in the guidelines. Plans appear to show that it would also meet the required 20sqm of communal space for an HMO of this size.
The kitchen, living, and dining areas come to a combined 32sqm, although the applicant highlights that the additional 270sqm garden space “comfortably meets Brent Council’s expectations for a small HMO and is suitable for recreation, gardening, and communal enjoyment”.
16 Ballogie Avenue, Neasden – To be decided
An application has been made to convert a three-storey semi-detached property, also in Neasden, into a five-bedroom, five-person HMO. No external alterations are proposed and the existing appearance of the building “will be fully retained”, according to the applicant.
The five rooms have the following floor areas: 10.8 sqm, 12.8 sqm, 13.7 sqm, 15.8 sqm, and 18 sqm, all of which exceed the minimum space standard required for single occupancy. A communal kitchen, living, and dining area of approximately 36 sqm would be provided, which appears to also exceed the 11sqm outlined in guidelines.
The applicant adds: “Overall, the proposal represents an effective use of an existing residential property to help meet ongoing housing demand, contributing positively towards local housing provision.”
7 Monks Park Gardens, Wembley – To be decided
Plans to convert a Wembley home into an HMO has been resubmitted after a previous application was refused. The new proposal has reduced the number from a six-person to a five-person dwelling.
The applicant claims to have removed the previously undersized bedroom, improved bedroom layouts, improved the internal arrangement to enhance privacy and circulation, and retained communal storage space in a bid to get the latest scheme approved.
As the proposal now accommodates five persons only, the applicant claims it will reduce “overall pressure on shared facilities”. All of the bedrooms would meet the required minimum space standards, as well as a 21sqm kitchen, living, and dining area – which exceeds the 11sqm guidance for an HMO of this size.
The applicant states: “The scheme now delivers a high standard of accommodation and will not adversely impact neighbouring amenity.”
88 Burnley Road, Dollis Hill – To be decided
Plans have been submitted to convert a two-storey terraced house in Dollis Hill into an eight-bed, eight-person HMO. The plans include a single-storey rear extension and first floor side extension.
The development’s eight single-occupancy bedrooms would all include private en-suite bathrooms. The ground floor plans show a communal living and dining area measuring 33.5sqm and a 24sqm kitchen, providing approximately 58sqm of total communal space, which exceeds Brent’s 5sqm per resident standard.
The applicant states: “It exceeds communal space standards, retains meaningful external amenity, supports sustainable transport, and will be professionally managed.”
Grant Williams is a journalist and Local Democracy Reporter (LDR) for Reach PLC, reporting on local government, politics and community issues across London. As part of the Local Democracy Reporting Service, he has contributed to Harrow Online, covering council decisions, housing developments, transport, planning matters and stories affecting local communities across Harrow and Brent.
