Two new HMOs in North Belfast have been refused despite legal warnings from the Belfast Council planning department to elected representatives. Sinn Féin proposed successfully at the recent meeting of the Belfast City Council Planning Committee to turn down applications for new HMO status for two properties. The first was an application for the change of use from a dwelling to six bed HMO at 272 Limestone Road by JJ McWilliams Property LTD.
The second was an application for the change of use from a dwelling to six bed HMO at 27 Ponsonby Avenue by Louise Johnson. Houses of Multiple Occupation, or HMOs, which landlords lease out to three or more tenants from different addresses, have become increasingly controversial, with some arguing they have negatively affected communities and led to anti-social behaviour, in places like the Holylands and Stranmillis in South Belfast where landlords rent houses to undergraduates. HMO licence renewal cannot be refused on the basis of overprovision of such properties in an area, but new licences can be refused on this basis. While the council policy is that HMOs should not account for more than 20 percent of any area of housing management, in reality many streets well exceed this, with some in the Holylands reaching over 90 percen
Law Law Latest News, Law Law Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
Source: BelfastLive - 🏆 16. / 77 Read more »