Right To Rent

What is the Scottish Planning Policy?

In January 2008 the Scottish Government published a draft Scottish Planning Policy SPP3: Planning for Housing which encourages local authorities to put in place Houses of Multiple Occupancy (HMO) Quotas. This means that local authorities will be able to limit the number of HMO properties in any given area, which obviously has implications on the many students who live in shared flats.

The main reason behind this proposal is the belief that too many HMO properties have a detrimental impact on amenities in the area and that it harms diversity. Fears about antisocial behaviour such as noise from HMO tenants and a lack of maintenance of HMO properties have fuelled support for the proposal from community groups.

What will it mean?

There is little evidence to suggest that diversity or local amenities suffer as a result of too many HMO properties in an area. On the contrary, the proposals will mean:

• A decrease in the diversity of communities – HMO properties are made up of a diverse range of people and cultures that positively contribute to the community.
• Local businesses will lose out on important trade from HMO residents.
• Higher rental costs and housing costs as a result of greater competition for HMO properties, at a time when housing prices are already prohibitively high.
• Increased numbers of illegal HMOs, and more subdividing of rooms, resulting in a reduction in standards and safety for tenants.

You can also read the consultation in full and download Edinburgh University Students' Association's response to the it.