HMOs - often called shared homes or bedsits - provide an important source of lower-cost housing for many people in our community, including young professionals, key workers such as NHS and airport staff and students, among others, so these proposals are not about preventing them. Rather, they are to help ensure that location, design, accommodation standards and potential impacts on neighbours and communities can be properly considered before conversions are allowed to take place.

HMOs with 7 or more residents already require planning permission.