To accept a huge loss on my house

[CurlyHairMare1]

I live in a semi detached house in a quiet cul de sac. I’ve spent a lot of money doing it up and making it lovely. Early this year my neighbours (the ones I’m attached to) sold their house incredibly cheaply as it needed an awful lot of work doing to it.

A man bought it to do up and rent out, I understood he had a property business so assumed he’d be the landlord.

Fast forward to now and he’s actually turned it in to an HMO. He has a number of them across the city.

I put my house on the market in Spring and I just can not sell it due to the HMO. I’ve had a number of offers accepted and they have all pulled out when they have found out what I’m attached to so I’m now declaring it up front.

Would I be unreasonable to sell my house for way under asking price just so I can get rid of it? The estate agent has suggested it would need to go for nearly 100k less to even get any kind of interest.

I’m exhausted with the whole situation.

This is surprising to me. Our old home we lived next door to a HMO. We bought it knowing it was a HMO and didn’t think to knock the price down. It was sold to a couple and we said it was a HMO when they asked about neighbours and they didn’t bat an eyelid either.

They were actually great to live next too. They never used the garden so no noise in summer and never had a problem with them.

Sadly HMOs sometimes come with a lot of noise. One been converted on this street and v noisy. Many could be fine but totally see the issue for buyers. Often short term lets too

Sorry I see now my suggestion has already been suggested.

I live next door to an unofficial HMO, it is wrecking my mental health.

I lived next door to a hmo and it was awful. The noise alone was terrible. It was also all men. Over 3 floors. My house next door. I had an lovely attic room done for my eldest but every night one of the men next door would scream/shout. Like he was in pain and upset . Every other week some sort of fight/disagreement.
So although completely unfair to you I would take the loss if you can afford too.

If they get a licence to create a HMO, the easiest and quickest way to make money is to rent it straight to the council. The council will then house who they want, usually the people that do not qualify for a full council property and can not private rent. Usually the developers are companies, and quite often not even british owned, so they manage it from overseas and could not give a flying fuxk who is placed in a road or about the neighbours or families living nearby.
Found this all out when my friend successfully fought one being proposed next door to her.

If you don’t mind me asking, how did you friend successfully fight it?

Did he not need planning permission for a change of use?
Were you never contacted by the council over the use of the property?
Is this something worth looking into?

I’ve looked into it. The council states that you need planning permission for change of use but is actually giving out licences to HMOs that don’t have planning permission. Most across this city don’t actually have planning permission but do have licences!

It depends, but often a permit is not needed for smaller HMOs (up to 6 tenants), as this can be a "permitted development". However, your neighbour will need permission if the property is in a specific area, if the HMO will have 7 or more tenants, or if their local council requires a license for their type of HMO. It is highly recommended they apply for a "Lawful Development Certificate" to confirm the change is permitted

This is the AI version.

How did you get it closed down?

Contact your local councillor or MP?

First find out if it is genuinely allowed. two separate issues:

• Does it have a HMO licence?
• Does it have planning permission?

Depends on your area I think of a six bed HMO needs planning permission.

Report issues to the council. They will check the license and tenancy’s against the license. You can request info about the HMO license from the councils register. I’m sure there are minimum room sizes in law since 2025 for HMOs. Assuming his house is the same footprint as yours have you checked the size of the bed rooms doubling from 3 to 6. Just because he has other properties doesn’t necessarily mean he is operating this one within all the rules.

Sorry for second post saw post above mone - the reason I have said to depends on your area as many councils have removed permitted development rights for smaller HMOs so they do need planning permission.

I’m not sure why people’s immediate response is to make sure he has the right documentation, there is no reason at all to think he hasn’t.

there is loads of HMo bashing where I live OP, and I don’t get it. When they were shared houses no one noticed or cared: when laws came in to make sure they were safe and suitable it’s like people lost their mind and assumed they’d be living next door to a homeless hostel. Most strange!

I remember that she requested copies of the planning apllications, dived into the company, their proposal, everything. Lobbied the council, ran a petition, met personally with the local MPs and councillors. She really went to town. I think it took months as well.

@Bambamhoohoo I agree in many cases people are unfairly against any HMOs and the restrictions my area put in were extremely nasty comments ("not our sort of neighbours") and not based on any evidence there were actually more problems.

There also are though a lot of landlords who convert properties into large HMOs without the relevant permissions etc. A licence is just that they meet various min fire regulations etc. One bit of the council doesn't talk to the other.

It's particularly unfair that where I am now three sharers on the same licence can't rent a house without planning permission. So a lot of landlords won't rent to them now and more have to be in (worse) large properties with strangers and no living room etc.

Edit: And then we wonder why more young people end up with mental illness...

Totally depends on who is living in it - the one closest to me houses alcoholics, the man who begs outside the co-op (who I happen to know professionally is a crack addict) and newly-released paedophiles. Large group of men permanently hanging about outside drinking, and shouting at nothing. Loads of trouble, police round there regularly.

A professional flat share would be absolutely fine.

Yeah... I lived in HMOs for ten years in my 20s and 30s. I'm a quiet, clean professional! As were my housemates. They were quite nice houses too.

This should be bloody illegal. No HMO should be legally allowed to operate in a street with non-HMO properties. I’d be contacting my MP - not that that will help you now - sorry can’t be of more help but I do have sympathy. Only idea would be to turn your own home into HMO or Air BnB it? Good luck with whatever you decide to do.

I livve next to one and am about to put mine on the market.
The HMO is empty but it is kitted out as one so will appeal to someone to keep it as one.

Bins (no-one putting them out /using the correct ones and them overflowing ; vermin ) and parking are the main issue (although I have a drive and garage )
The noise wasnt an issue and the tenants were decent people (high turnover of them though !)

You are about to lose £100k.

So to make £100k think about what you would do?
Get a solicitor and challenge the HMO license, challenge the planning permission (if any), do a Clare’s Law on names of next door neighbour.
Check Companies House for landlord name (should be on HMO license)
Report to HMRC for lack of tax paid (if suspected)
Get the landlord details and call every time anything annoying happens on the property. A bin bag left out - call them. You see a rat, call them. Hassle them - day and night if any encroachment on your property.

Make it your full time job to address the situation. Because resolving it will save you more than you’ll earn in a year/ 2 years / 3 years.

Isn't that property blight so could you make a claim? Not sure who's at fault though cos they need licensing...

Talk to the owner next door. The issue is you make a loss irrespective of who buys it unless you convert yours to a HMO and sell it on. The agent should be marketing it as an invesent/ HMO opportunity in any case...

Sometimes they are used by people who are neighbourly and no trouble. But very often, they're trouble. I wish they weren't, of course many very nice and pleasant people live in HMOs, but people really aren't wrong to have concerns.