The British Property Federation (BPF) has won a significant concession on HMO law. Following intense lobbying, Housing Minister Grant Shapps announced that he will undo Labour’s rushed HMO legislation.

It is estimated that as many as 8,500 planning applications could be submitted each year if every landlord looking to let to unrelated tenants was first required to seek permission – instead, councils will be able to focus on neighbourhoods where HMOs present a problem, while landlords of HMOs in other areas will not be tied up in red tape. (more…)