The South Coast seaside resort of Eastbourne is to crack down on the town’s growing number of HMOs after councillors approved a plan to tackle the issue.

This follows an internal council report which has suggested several options many of which have now been adopted. These include measures to mitigate wider parking issues, a new policy that provides more extensive criteria for applications for new HMOs to be assessed against, a direction to remove permitted development rights from small HMOs, enhanced compulsory standards for licensed HMOs and a streamlined system for monitoring complaints associated with them.

There are 360 HMOs registered within the town, which are popular with the small army of people who work in its hospitality sector but who work on low wages and face seasonal employment patterns. HMO numbers have been climbing – in 2011 the council recorded 305 on its register.

The majority of the HMOs are concentrated in and around the eastern part of the town centre on roads such as Pevenseny Road (main image, inset) behind the big hotels.

Problems

But like many placles in the UK including neighbouring Brighton – which has over 3,000 HMOs – this kind of housing is now being blamed for housing, social and other problems including too little parking, overflowing bins and a lack of family homes available for local residents.

"HMOs provide an important part of the housing offer in Eastbourne, especially for people whose housing options are limited, such as young professionals, students and those on low incomes who are unable to afford their own self-contained accommodation," says Councillor Peter Diplock (pictured), Cabinet Member for Housing.

"However, standards have fallen below expected levels in some areas, with properties not being properly maintained and there has been an increase in anti-social behaviour in a number of locations."

Eastbourne operates a register for larger, mandatory licenced HMOs but does not have an additional scheme for smaller ones. It charges up to £1,300 for a ‘standard’ larger bedsit HMOs but more for hostels and less for shared houses.