Croydon Council is calling on local residents to report concerns about unauthorised HMOs as it ramps up action against errant landlords.

In a joint operation, officers from the planning enforcement and HMO teams carried out a day of action by visiting 21 properties believed to be unauthorised HMOs in Thornton Heath, Norbury, New Addington, Central Croydon, Addiscombe and Purley. They discovered several breaches of planning legislation and the Housing Act (2004) and will take action against offenders.

The council adopted an Article 4 direction in 2020 to tighten planning controls around the spread of HMOs. It reports that its enforcement team has been working hard to accelerate investigations into unauthorised developments and has more than halved the number of active cases since 2021.

The number of live enforcement investigations has fallen from its peak of 2,089 in October 2021, during the Covid-19 pandemic, to 711 cases in January 2025 – a 66% reduction.

Investigations

During that time, Croydon has completed 2,485 investigations, sometimes resulting in enforcement notices and court action.

Executive mayor Jason Perry (pictured) says unauthorised HMOs and developments can be a blight on neighbourhoods. “Landlords operating unauthorised HMOs are warned that these should not operate in Croydon without planning consent,” he adds.

“It is my priority to protect the unique character of our neighbourhoods, and we will take enforcement action where breaches are made. We have made significant progress in investigating breaches and will persevere to resolve all cases.

“Thank you to our residents who have reported concerns – I assure you that we will continue to follow up on any reports received.”