Estate agents have claimed there aren’t enough student-type houses in the Holyland, after a young landlord failed to get a new HMO licence for his property.
At Belfast City Council’s recent Licensing Committee, elected representatives refused an application by Doctor Jack Kennedy for a licence permitting the use of his newly acquired premises at Fitzroy Avenue as a House of Multiple Occupation.
Councillors refused the application on the grounds of overprovision of HMO accommodation in the area. The property, managed by Property People Belfast Ltd, was previously licensed as an HMO in the name of the previous owner, who sold the property in August 2021. The refusal can be appealed at the County Court.
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The council report states: “Legal Services has advised that there is a clear requirement in Section 8 of the 2016 Act upon the council to be satisfied that the granting of a licence will not result in overprovision.
“On the date of assessment, 14 February 2022 there were a total of 1100 licensed HMOs in HMO policy area 'HMO 2/22 Botanic, Holylands, Rugby' which equates to just over 45 percent of the total dwelling units, which in turn exceeds the 30 percent development limit.”
A council officer told the committee that the managing agent for Dr Kennedy sent the council letters from two estate agents in the area, including one from Property People, the manager of the Fitzroy address.
He said Property People “indicated it is their opinion that there is inadequate provision of HMOs in the locality to meet the demand for HMO accommodation.”
A second letter to the council from R Stanley Laird and Sons stated they had no availability of 3/4/5 and 6 bedroom HMOs, the officer explained, and they added they believed there wasn’t an oversupply of HMOs in the university area.
The council report states: “On 2 March 2022 there were 27 licensed HMOs advertised for let on the website Property News in BT7, from the information provided on the website this represented 92 bed spaces, although most of the accommodation is not available for immediate occupancy.
“Anecdotal evidence from conversations with HMO managing agents suggest that there is currently a lack of HMO accommodation available in the locality. It is the officers' view that it is too early to tell whether this is a temporary problem or evidence of an emerging long-term supply issue.”
Houses of Multiple Occupation, 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 use houses to accommodate undergraduates.
HMO licence renewal cannot be refused on the basis of overprovision of such properties in an area. While the council policy is that HMOs should not account for more than 30 percent of any area, in reality many streets well exceed this, with some in the Holylands reaching over 90 percent.
Bríd Ruddy, chair of the Holyland Residents’ Network, appeared at the Licensing Committee to voice her objection to the application. She said: “I have seen the destruction of our area due to the overprovision of HMOs over the last number of years.
“Why Property People and Mr Laird would say there is underprovision of HMOs - it actually takes my breath away. There has been a whole community that has been decimated by HMOs - the statistics tell it all, as regard to what that impact has been.
“We are the most densely populated area of Belfast, and we have the highest rate of anti-social behaviour. We have constant fly tipping, and open bins that are constantly used for that because the houses have been built out so much to the back that there is no space left for people to have adequate household bins. So the place stinks to high heaven.
“The noise is day and night 24/7, cars are parked Sunday through to Thursday causing congestion and pollution. With three million spent a year to keep some semblance of law and order. And these guys want more HMOs?”
Last month the Belfast council Licensing Committee made a watershed decision to refuse a Stranmillis landlord’s HMO licence renewal, on the grounds of anti social behaviour.
The first of its kind, the decision could open the floodgates for landlords losing their HMO licences in areas such as the Holylands and Stranmillis, providing residents can give significant evidence to the council of their rowdy neighbours.
The council report adds: “The council recognises that there is a need for intensive forms of housing and to meet this demand, HMOs are an important component of this housing provision.
“HMOs, alongside other accommodation options within the private rented sector, play an important role in meeting the housing needs of people who are single, who have temporary employment, students, low-income households and, more recently, migrant workers.”
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