HMO for ex prisoners

[NIMBYthanks]

So, I have just found out the property next door is being converted into a house of multiple occupancy for ex prisoners to be released to. No planning needed, no notice given. I only realised when I saw they had partitioned the rooms in half and were carrying in a disgusting mattress.

Does anyone have any experience of living nearby to something like this?

I want to move immediately and am considering selling via we buy any home who have today offered about £15-20k under asking price. It would still just about leave me with a big enough deposit for a new property. Not really sure what to gain from this thread other than to say AAAAGGGHHHH!!!

Yeah i'd move. Sorry this is happening to you but you should be able to sell, even if its to a property developer who wants to rent it out.

Our last rental we lived opposite one.
Move while you can.

Within 3 weeks, the amount of burglaries went up. Cars were stolen. They had people turn up at all hours. I caught two men down the side entrance to my house at 6.30am. Our car was keyed.

I'm all for giving people a fresh start but these people were dumped and left with noone coming over or keeping an eye on them. Even the police raised an issue with it being where it was. We constantly as a street had to call police out due to antisocial behaviour and fights.

It's easy for others to say "oh give people a chance" if they've not lived near one.

Sadly, putting them in poorly equipped spaces with no financial help does little but lead to reoffending. A council worker told me that the prison and probation service is meant to help them access courses, benefits and medical care for illness or addiction. They do none of the above due to funding cuts, and that was in 2014 so God knows how bad it is now.

The people who live three doors down to the HMO next door to me have no problems. I share a wall and we’ve had problems. Even if people are well behaved, fire doors can be a noise nightmare.

In my case it’s an HMO for ‘young professionals’ though, so nothing like this and can’t comment on what it may be like. I know that I don’t like living next door to an hmo though - common sense and experience tells me that with a high volume of people passing through, your odds of getting troublesome neighbours increases - and really don’t care if that makes me a nimby.

We loved on a road with several supported living places for about 8 years. One was for alcoholics who were still drinking and one was for people just out of prison. We had one problem couple who shouted a lot and were moved on after about 6 months for antisocial behaviour. Other than that no issues at all.

Where we live now we have student HMOs. I always make a point of noting down the letting agent when signs go up and the first sign of antisocial behaviour and I email them.

During lockdown was terrible, so much so the local uni set up a scheme for residents to report off campus houses. As a result they are given a verbal warning, then a written warning and after that any more issues and they are chucked off their course.

It's wisely advertised and we've seen a lot less noise and antisocial behaviour since. Recently, two lots moved in and within days were a nuisance of shouting and banging between the two homes. We all as a street universally emailed uni and letting agent, one left within 2 weeks and the rest seem to have got the message. Apparently she was already living there because her previous agent has asked her to leave, so she was on two warnings. She was slagging the street off when packing and going but I must say her mum told her to shut it as it was her own fault.

Houses being converted into HMO's appear regularly on 'Homes Under the Hammer', where they are invariably described as being for 'young professionals' !

I hear you OP. And agree you should get out asap. Problem is if you wait to see if all okay, and then you have to complain about anti social behaviour, you then have to also disclose this if you decide to move. So there’s a double whammy. Some HMOs are run well, and are monitored. Others not so much, and residents are just dumped there with little supervision or guidance.