Idea to reveal location of all HMOs in Tameside shot down

An idea to ‘name and shame’ all houses of multiple occupation (HMOs) in Tameside has been shot down.

HMOs are houses shared by individuals not previously known to each other and usually occupied by young professionals or students. A rise in HMOs in the borough has led to community concerns over noise and disturbance.

At the latest town hall meeting, Cllr Jake Frater called for the council to create a list of known HMOs publicly available.

His request said the list should list the address, licensing status and the name of the manager or operator of the HMO. Cllr Frater asked for the list to include every verified HMO known to the local authority across the borough, regardless of whether or not it has a licence.

His Reform colleague, Cllr Gary Roylance, added: “People in Tameside are increasingly concerned about the rise of HMOs in the community. 

“This would allow people to monitor the HMOs in their community.”

Andrew McLaren described the action as ‘shameful’ and felt it stigmatised all people living in HMOs. 

The deputy council leader added: “I wouldn’t want a councillor sticking his chest out and naming and shaming HMOs they don’t like.”

Cllr Kaleel Khan questioned how this scheme would stop vulnerable residents being put at risk. He added that many HMOs are used for specific purposes, for young people leaving home or a refuge for women fleeing violence.

Council leader Eleanor Wills told the chamber she once used a shared house when fleeing domestic violence, which she saw as a safe haven. Cllr Wills said this motion would reveal the location of others in the same position as she was, to which Cllr Frater disagreed.

Cllr Stephen Homer added: “We can’t carry on with this narrative that all HMOs are evil.”

The council leadership told the meeting they had already taken action to crack down on troublesome HMOs last year by introducing an Article 4 direction. The exercising of this power means that now planning permission is required for all HMOs in the borough.

Previously, only HMOs housing seven or more people needed planning permission from the council. The idea behind this move was to give the local authority greater control over where shared homes are developed and give residents and stakeholders a voice through the planning process.

The motion tabled by Cllr Frater was only supported by his Reform colleagues in the room and was voted down by the other councillors in the room.