House of Commons · General Debate
09 September 2020 · 1 other contributor
Opened by Ian Levy Lab Blyth Valley
Summarised by AI from the official record, so it can contain mistakes.
Ian Levy raised concerns about houses in multiple occupation in the House of Commons. Other MPs contributed to the debate.
Key points
MPs spoke in turn to share their views and ask questions. Here's what each person said.
Opened the debate
Mr Levy moved a Bill to amend the law relating to the licensing of Houses in Multiple Occupation, aiming to increase penalties for non-compliance and improve standards. He highlighted that HMOs provide cheap accommodation but often fall short on welfare considerations and community impact. Mr Levy argued for stricter checks and measures to ensure better safeguarding of tenants and advocated for greater powers for local authorities to address issues arising from large HMOs.
Mr Levy stressed the importance of addressing poor-quality HMOs that exploit vulnerable individuals by providing substandard living conditions. He highlighted a minimum accommodation size regulation that permits two adults to live in just 10.22 square metres and pointed out the lack of police consultation on planning applications for large HMOs, despite their involvement in resolving resultant issues.