Fed-up residents have said their once close-knit road should be renamed ‘HMO Street’ – as they accused ‘greedy’ landlords of turning more than a third of homes into shared properties.
Locals living on Princes Street in Mansfield, Nottingham, claim the boom in houses in multiple occupation (HMO) has brought parking chaos, overflowing bins and a revolving door of strangers.
In a stretch of just 42 properties, at least 15 are now HMOs or houses converted into flats, with even more applications in the pipeline.
The latest row erupted after Mansfield District Council approved plans to expand an existing six-bedroom HMO into a ten-person property. Another application was lodged in August to convert number 5 into a six-person HMO despite local objections.
Retired computer programmer Martin Radcliffe, 62, who has lived on the street since 1990, said the spread of HMOs was ‘killing the community’.
He said: ‘My guess is that every house that’s had a for sale sign up on my side of the street has been converted into an HMO, bar one, in the last five years.
‘It’s because they’re cheap. One on the street sold for about £132,000 and these are big houses with 15 sq ft rooms.
‘What they’ve done is through permitted development, gutted the house completely and then they’ve put six bedrooms in. Two in the loft, two on the first floor, one at the front, then a common lounge and a kitchen out the back, but there’s no parking.
Residents on Princes Street in Mansfield, Nottinghamshire, say their neighbourhood is being overwhelmed by the growing number of HMOs and converted flats
Of around 42 properties, residents estimate that at least 15 are now HMOs or divided into flats, with further applications being submitted
‘If you get in after 5pm you’re lucky if you can find a parking space anywhere on the street.
‘Everybody is on the street, with these HMOs you’ve got more cars coming in and they park in the way and it gets absolutely ridiculous.’
Grandad-of-one Martin said former family homes are now housing far more tenants.
He added: ‘There’s at least 20 people in these houses that used to be family homes.
‘The one next to me has a planning application to become a ten-person, six bedrooms but for ten people.
‘If you say that £100 a week is reasonable per person, that’s £1,000 a week the landlord will be coining in. This place could generate £50,000 a year.
‘If you let the whole house, a property like this goes for £680 to £900 for a family normally so turning them into HMOs is a big money maker.’
Despite his concerns, Martin stressed the issue was not the tenants themselves.
He said: ‘They’re just normal people that come and go.
‘It could be that these are doctors or nurses staying for six months and then leaving.
‘Apparently these places are aimed at young professionals who live here for a few months and then go.
Residents have said the increase has caused severe parking problems, with some residents unable to use their own driveways. Pictured is homeowner Martin Radcliffe
Residents have complained of a perceived loss of the area’s long-standing community feel, as tenants frequently move in and out. Pictured is homeowner Lonel Tolan
‘I have no idea who they are, they’re quiet and they don’t have rowdy parties.
‘The biggest negative for us is the parking.
‘HMOs seem to be breaking down the community because no one knows who you’re living next door to anymore.’
Princes Street is 1.7 miles from Kings Mill Hospital, leading some residents to believe many tenants work for the NHS.
Lorry driver Lonel Tolan, 35, said the situation had become so bad he sometimes could not even use his own driveway.
The father-of-two said: ‘The parking is hell. We had to leave our car on a different street last night because there was no room on the street.
‘Sometimes it’s impossible to park on your own drive. Most of them have cars.
‘It’s been in the last year that it’s happened, they just appear. We have nice people on our side, but when we see another stranger move in, it’s not good.
‘Someone reversed a car into one neighbour’s wall, trying to spin around.’
Neighbour Marius Oprea, 47, warned the problem could get worse unless the council tightens planning rules.
He said: ‘It is a problem and it will be in the future. If the council keeps giving them permission it will be a problem.
‘There’s one property that will have ten people in it. There’s too many cars, sometimes they block our drives. They leave rubbish on the street.
‘I remember one morning an ambulance came and it couldn’t turn because the street is too crowded.
‘I fear that within a few years every single terrace house on the street will be a HMO.’
Residents are now calling for limits on the number of HMOs allowed on individual roads.
Residents say the issue is primarily the number and concentration of HMOs, rather than the tenants themselves
One woman branded Princes Street ‘HMO Street’ and said: ‘It’s getting to the point where it can go on for too long and there’s no turning back.
‘It might as well be renamed HMO Street with greedy landlords raking in money at the expense of communities.
‘It’s a big problem and the only way to sort it is limiting how many HMOs are on each road to preserve the communities living there.
‘I have no problems with the people living in HMOs. A lot of them wear NHS lanyards so clearly work at the hospital. But it just needs to be regulated better.’
Another local, Chantelle, blamed ‘money-grabbing’ landlords for the explosion in HMOs.
The mother-of-three said: ‘These lovely old houses just keep getting sold and turned into HMOs.
‘It takes the mick as the parking is ridiculous as it is without adding more people in. It’s not right I don’t think, it’s money grabbers.
‘One neighbour who lives next door to them is having rats because their bins keep overflowing.’
The road also has at least six flats converted from houses, while planning records show approved HMOs at numbers 13 and 49 could accommodate 16 people between them.
Plans have also been approved to convert 125 Princes Street into 12 assisted living dwellings with staff and a communal space.
Landlords must apply for a HMO licence for properties occupied by five or more people from two or more households.
A council spokesman said there are three licensed HMOs on Princes Street with another three currently going through the licensing process.
They added that any other HMOs on Princes Street ‘do not meet the threshold’ for requiring a licence.
A spokesman said: ‘We understand residents’ concerns.
‘The council is currently reviewing HMO numbers, distribution and trends across Mansfield as part of our ongoing assessment of housing needs and local communities.
‘We also currently operate a statutory HMO licensing scheme as well as a selective licensing scheme across five areas of the district to ensure privately rented properties are safe and managed well.’

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