A LANDLORD has applied for planning permission for a house of multiple occupation (HMO) in Rhyl.
Majid Khan, of London-based Genics Investment, has applied to Denbighshire County Council’s planning department, seeking permission for a change of use of 15 Chester Street from a dwelling to six-bedroom HMO.
According to the application, the HMO is already in use but is not registered with Denbighshire County Council.
The applicant says the building has been in continuous use as a HMO for more than ten years.
The applicant has supplied a list of tenancy agreements, housing benefit details, and a statement from the previous landlord as “evidence” of the above.
A planning statement issued on behalf of Mr Khan reads: “The property was purchased in 1996 for a HMO use, and the previous landlord did submit a planning application in (the) late 90s (or) early 2000s, but this was not registered formally on the council’s records.
“Before the new directives came in 2014, a HMO Licence was not required. A HMO licence was granted and expired in 2020.”
HMOs are carefully regulated by some councils, especially in seaside towns, which may have a greater number of large empty properties.
Rhyl councillor Brian Jones said he believed the town already had enough HMOs.
“In my opinion, Rhyl has more than enough HMOs,” he said.
“When Rhyl is compared to other towns in Denbighshire, Rhyl has by far the highest number. We have enough of them. We certainly don’t need any more.”
Denbighshire defines a HMO as a property rented to “at least three people who are not from the same household, such as a family”.
A HMO property in Denbigh, Llangollen, Prestatyn and Rhyl must have a licence if there are three or more tenants living there and:
- They form more than one household, with or without shared facilities (bathroom and kitchen)
- They form more than one fully self-contained household, but do not meet the 1991 Building Regulations and where less than two-thirds of the self-contained flats are owner occupied.
The planning application will likely be debated at a future planning committee meeting at Ruthin ’s County Hall HQ.
