Rules around HMOs could soon be tightened up in Stockport if council plans get the go ahead.

While numbers of houses of multiple occupation (HMO) in Stockport pale in comparison to Salford and Manchester with those cities' large student populations, there have been calls in the borough for the local authority to tighten up rules over HMOs. Concerns had previously been raised by people living in Portwood that their 'tight knit community' was changing because of new HMOs.

HMOs are houses where multiple unrelated people live together. They can provide a more affordable and flexible form of accommodation for young professionals and students but they also often raise a number of concerns from people living in the nearby area over parking, waste, who might be living there, and other issues.

Now the council is looking to take action with decisions expected to be made next month to bring in a policy that would require all HMOs to go through the planning process. This would enable the council to better evaluate the impact of any new HMOs and provide greater transparency for the public.

More evidence will be needed before any policy can be introduced but an officer report said there was 'a sufficiently strong justification' for a 'borough wide' policy, adding: "This is due to the significant increase in recent small HMO developments coming forward as permitted development."

Small units are reportedly being converted without any planning oversight including over the concentration of HMOs in an area. The report said: "It is therefore considered that an immediate Article 4 Direction is essential to the proper management of this type of development in order to help protect the amenity of existing residents and future occupiers."

The council is looking to go borough wise because officers believe introducing restrictions in areas like Edgeley, the town centre, as well as Davenport and Cale Green would just push developments into other areas. In 2017, there was 28 licensed HMOs in the borough but by 2025, this had increased to 143.

Davenport and Cale Green has the most HMOs in the borough, followed by Brinnington and Stockport Central. Other areas with higher numbers of HMOs include Edgeley, Manor, Offerton, Reddish North, and Reddish South.

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Cllr Jake Austin, cabinet member for housing and environment at Stockport Council, previously told the LDRS he recognised the concerns people had around HMOs, adding: "If they are of good quality and well maintained, HMOs can play a role in meeting the borough's housing needs through affordable accommodation.

"However, we also know that where there are growing numbers of HMOs in one area, particularly where properties are not well managed, concerns are raised about the impact on neighbourhoods and community cohesion. We know this is an important issue, and we are listening.

"That's why I have already asked officers to consider what options are available to help protect communities while continuing to manage future housing growth and meet local housing need."

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