Harringay, Haringey - So Good they Spelt it Twice!
Glyn's List of HMOs
This from Glyn (posted with his permission):
Dear All,
Attached are a list of all properties on the `Ladder` with three or more doorbells. Obviously this does NOT mean they are all properties converted into HMO`s without planning but a number of them may be.
We will be passing this list to LBH for their consideration.
Some illegal conversions however may not have door buzzers at all so if any of you know of suspected illegal conversions near you that are not on this list, please forward details on to us and we will add them.
Glyn.
Dear All,
Attached are a list of all properties on the `Ladder` with three or more doorbells. Obviously this does NOT mean they are all properties converted into HMO`s without planning but a number of them may be.
We will be passing this list to LBH for their consideration.
Some illegal conversions however may not have door buzzers at all so if any of you know of suspected illegal conversions near you that are not on this list, please forward details on to us and we will add them.
Glyn.
Tags for Forum Posts: burglary, hmo, housing
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HMOs harringay.xls, 30 KB
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Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by Hugh on
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No, it's not just a Ladder issue. I think, for example Salisbury Road is now 60% HMO and Kimberley Gardens is getting that way. There are some real porblems to the East of GL. One difference, sort of, is that there aren't conversion restrictions beyond te Ladder - the same HMO licensing issues of course apply.
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Permalink Reply by Liz on
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Yes of course it would be helpful to find out the remit of the HMO group. Are they simply investigating illegal conversion or are they also tackling the effects that too many HMOs have on a residential area in terms of the infrastructure, the standard of the housing and issues of overcrowding and the issue of 'problem houses'. If the former then yes I suppose it is a Ladder issue but if the others then it should include all residents groups...and if it doesn't cover the latter then there must be a housing group set up. Ian Pyles post via Glyn was a reminder to us all of the issues of safety. I for one do not want to wait until a dead child is carried out of a burning building as happened in a block in Germany recently.
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Permalink Reply by John McMullan on
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I found this on a government HMO website
"Risk assessment carried out by ENTEC for the Department of the Environment, Transport and the Regions on fire safety in HMOs concluded that in all houses converted into bedsits, the annual risk of death per person is 1 in 50,000 (six times higher than in comparable single occupancy houses). In the case of bedsit houses comprising three or more storeys the risk is 1 in 18,600 (sixteen times higher). "
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Permalink Reply by matt on
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The proliferation of HMOs are part of the wider picture of the UK housing crisis which this government has allowed to happen. A tighter supply of housing stock has led to extreme price increases to which whose with homes have used to borrow against for all manner of things. This excess consumer spending has driven a significant part of the UK economy up till now. This has been encouraged by Mr Brown as it has made him look as though the economy has been doing very nicely.
Over in France there is also a huge housing crisis, the 'worst since WWII'. Some unfortunate circumstances have evolved from this, as well as some innovative protest action. See BBC article.
What this shows is that our own local housing crisis needs to be dealt with sensitively. People don't choose to be ripped off by unscrupulous landlords and estate agents or live in substandard conditions. The so-called HMO Working Group needs to take these wider concerns into account when working through its still unknown remit.
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god bless the French and their willingness to take DIRECT action...no working groups for them!
What you say is exactly right Matt. In a house near where I live, I see young children being crammed into a front room with a large number of adults, being subjected to the fear of a police raid and not I suspect having much by the way of playspace or privacy and it makes me very upset.
If these houses were being converted as affordable housing for the elderly or young families, or even into flats to allow public sector workers to get a foot on the housing ladder, then, frankly, it would be a welcome development and our discussions would be about improving the infrastructure to accommodate this .
We are not, we are talking about cramming the poor and the young into substandard conditions, ripping them off for rent and deposits and placing their safety, even lives at risk.
We need to watch the 'doings' of this HMO group very carefully...
Here's a little bit of legislation for them
The new standard for overcrowding will apply to houses in multiple occupation (HMOs) that are currently not subject to the mandatory or selective licensing regime, and where there is no interim or final management order in force. A consultation to establish the new standard is due to be announced.
Local authorities can serve overcrowding notices if an excessive number of people are being accommodated in an HMO. To serve a notice, the local housing authority must inform the owner or manager of its intention to serve a notice, at least seven days in advance.
For each room in the HMO, the notice must state:
* either the maximum number of persons permitted to sleep in the room, or the fact that it is unsuitable for sleeping, and
* a requirement not to permit excess numbers to sleep in the HMO, or a requirement not to admit new residents.
The degree of overcrowding is not based on statutory tests, so different authorities can apply different standards for unacceptable levels of overcrowding. The new standard will establish a new maximum acceptable level of overcrowding to be used across the board.
If the person does not comply with the notice, s/he is committing a criminal offence.
From the Shelter website
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Interesting.
The Haringey Housing and Strategy Division appears to monitor this borough's strategy and policy development for housing. They have links to various reports including a 'Housing needs survey 2005'.
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Permalink Reply by Anette on
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6 doorbells on a Ladder house? SIX??? I really want to see the layout of that one! This is really interesting. I wonder if a lot of these comply with fire regulations..? I know the conversion next to my house was supremely dodgy before the whole house was done up - there's probably a lot more of those. Can the council do an inspection?
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Mine used to be 6 bedsits (back in the 80s) and it's just a 4 bedroom house.
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Ring the council's switch board number and explain what you're enquiring about and they should send you to the right dept. I know Environmental Health Officers had this power of inspection years ago.
ph. no. 84890000
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Matt, this is one of the issues I have raised in the letter to various people with regards to my own local HMO war. Have yet to receive a reply or find someone who gives a toss... Might try this number in a bit though, so thanks!
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Or contact (chair of HMO Working Group)
Cllr Gina Adamou
Labour Member for Harringay Ward
Tel: 07794 218 504
Fax: 020 8348 4275
Email: gina.adamou@haringey.gov.uk
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