Homes register welcome (From Oxford Mail)

Homes register welcome

10:00am Thursday 16th February 2012 in Letters

WE ARE writing to congratulate the city council on the introduction of the Homes in Multiple Occupation mandatory registration (Oxford Mail, January 30).

This scheme will undoubtedly benefit our wards considerably.

Not only will registration benefit the tenants of HMOs, as their living conditions will be improved but so will permanent residents.

Our recent doorstep experiences confirm that residents in our wards, particularly in St Clement’s, St Mary’s and Iffley Fields, which have a high proportion of HMOs, are in support of this initiative.

The feedback from the doorstep is very positive about the regulation of HMOs. Tenants have expressed relief that concerns about the state of their accommodation will now be taken seriously and that the quality of the rented properties will be improved.

Permanent residents consider that regulation will lead to a more mixed and balanced community and improve the area in general. Unsurprisingly, a few landlords have voiced a different opinion and are resentful of the extra expense.

However, other landlords are more positive and see that regulation will improve the profile of landlords in this city, which will, of course, be another benefit for our community.

We wish the council every success in this innovative scheme and offer our wholehearted support. It is clearly welcomed by residents and tenants.

However, we trust there will be some consideration given to the concerns raised over accessibility to accommodation for some groups of people.

RICHARD TARVER BEVERLEY CLACK East Oxford Labour Party