Neighbour’s planning permission

[Thingsthatgo]

So... we have put an offer on a end terrace house. It is quite a large 4 bed end terrace.
Having done some digging, next door is listed as 7(!) flats. So bedsits, presumably. Many of the houses along this round are flats, (but usually 2 or 3). Next door has no sign of being flats, and has a very broken fire escape at the back.
I need to find out a bit more about what is going on there. Maybe they got permission recently, and will make the changes soon? How do I go about finding out?

Look online at local planning applications for change of use, or any development plans in the immediate vicinity.

Yes - the planning pages of the local Council covering that area should have a section for searching/commenting on planning applications. You can normally search by address/postcode. However, most COuncil online records don't go back that far, and certainly if you want to see the actual planning permission document to check any conditions imposed etc, most will only have those going back 20 years max.

If you can't find any record on line, give the Planning department a ring.

If it's not too late, run! You really don't want to live next to a HMO.

Yeah run!
Not fun living next door to a HMO, do some digging with the council 1st and if it us a HMO pull out, it also could be a nightmare to sell your house down the line

Different areas have different rules for HMOs unfortunately so it's very hard to work out where they are, depending on your local area.

If any work was done to build a loft conversion or extension, you might be able to work out which properties are HMOs, but if the existing building has been reconfigured inside it's really hard to know. Some authorities require you to apply for a license for an HMO, others only once you get over a certain number of rooms or a certain number of stories.

If it is 7 self-contained flats (e.g. studios/bedsits) then it may not even be a listed HMO, as for an HMO people have to share some common facility (e.g. toilet, kitchen). So technically, it's not actually an HMO in that way if that's how it has been divided.

If the neighbours got planning permission recently, this should be declared by the sellers under the planning permission section.

I have been doing some research. Historically it was 7 flats, but now the owner lives in it on his own. If, in the future, he wants to make it flats/bedsits again, he could do that very easily presumably? Because the permission is already in place.
It definitely would not meet current building regulations for flats as it is.

@Thingsthatgo

I have been doing some research. Historically it was 7 flats, but now the owner lives in it on his own. If, in the future, he wants to make it flats/bedsits again, he could do that very easily presumably? Because the permission is already in place. It definitely would not meet current building regulations for flats as it is.

Seems so, I would probably ask sellers about it as they may have more of an idea of what's going on. Owner probably made a lot of money renting it out as 7 flats, so if he has stopped doing that, I would think there would be some good reason?

You can never be 100% sure about the future of a property next door.

That one has the distinct possibility of being tuned into a HMO either whenever the current owner decides to do it himself, or whenever he decides to sell it for someone else to develop it.

That could happen next month or in 30 years' time, or never, no-one can predict that.

Depends really whether any work has been done to convert it back into a single dwelling - if so PP would be required to change it into flats/bedsits.

Also depends on how long the owner has been living in it as a single dwelling - there may be a legal case for abandonment, which again would mean PP would be required for any use other than as a single dwelling, but that can get very complicated.

Whether Pp would be granted is another matter altogether.

If you don't like the idea of living next to flats/bedsits/HMO, then think very carefully about whether this is the house for you. I can see things getting messy.

Thank you for all your thoughts. I have emailed planning to see if they can shed any light on the situation. I can see that the council tax banding is for a house (the same banding as the house we want to buy) rather than for flats.