Two more student houses in Brighton have been ordered to close by a government planning inspector. There have now been four such cases in the last two months.

Brighton & Hove council had initially ordered that two terraced family homes should no longer be let to six students in each case. Under special local powers, planning permission is required in five parts of the council patch to change family homes into HMOs.

In each case the landlord appealed to the government’s Planning Inspectorate; in one case the planning Inspector concluded the council policies were acceptable and in the other case she said local residents had complained of noise and disturbance and that the property should cease operating as an HMO by the end of this year. 

In April 2013 the council assumed special powers meaning landlords need planning permission to convert homes to HMOs in specific areas – an approach now being taken by an increasing number of local authorities.

In May the Planning Inspectorate supported the same council’s enforcement action over a student HMO; and in June it repeated its support at another HMO.