Curbs on rentals ‘to force down poperty values’

Sarah Daniels has spent years restoring her Edwardian home in Park Grove, off Princes Avenue, Hull, as the neighbourhood has deteriorated around her. She is the latest to object to moves by Hull Council to introduce an “article four directive”, which will force landlords to apply for planning permission if they want to rent their homes out to more than three unrelated adults.

But Ms Daniels, who is sandwiched between two houses in multiple occupation (HMO), with bedsits for the homeless in the same row, says the move does not target existing problem landlords.

Over the years she has had to call the council on numerous occasions after rubbish has been dumped outside houses, sometimes for months.

If the proposals are agreed, she claims it will also leave her in an even worse position financially as an investment landlord could use the requirement for planning permission to drive down the price of her house even further.

She said: “In my opinion it will not make a jot of difference to existing landlords or how they manage properties on Park Grove. The mostly repeat offenders already trade as houses in multiple occupation and will not be affected.

“It is my belief that after a yes vote, my house will be worth less than it currently is worth because potential owner occupier buyers are put off by the neglected surrounding properties trading as HMOs.”

Former neighbours have described how they felt they were driven out of the area. One said: “It came to feel less like a residential street and more like a ghetto and I did not feel safe letting my children play out.

“The council refused to put Park Grove in a conservation area because it was deemed as an ‘infill’ area. This in conjunction with the mountains of rubbish and detritus drove us insane.”

Hull University Union has launched a petition, claiming they will drive students out of the traditional student community around the university. A decision will be made on September 19.