Housing minister Caroline Flint has launched a review into the growth of houses in multiple occupation (HMO) in certain areas of the UK. Concerns have been raised about the so called 'studentification' of university towns with over concentrations of HMOs – with Nottingham, Southampton, Loughborough and Bristol among the most severely affected. There has been a dramatic growth in recent years of the number of students in the UK, with almost 2.5m presently in study. These students have put additional demand on local resources, and an over concentration of HMOs in one area can have a negative impact on neighbourhoods. Student turnover is typically high, 52 per cent in Leeds for example, which can affect the sense of community as increasingly student landlords opt to concentrate properties ever closer together in university towns. In addition such areas can turn into 'ghost towns' during the summer months, when students return home. "It is not acceptable that in too many areas people living in HMOs and local communities alike are having their quality of life affected," said Ms Flint. "We must have balanced, sustainable communities where settled communities can live side by side with those in HMOs." New government rules already mean they should be properly licensed to guarantee minimum living conditions and management standards – with over three quarters of HMO landlords having now applied for licences. "The new HMO licensing scheme and tenancy deposit schemes are already making a difference but I want to know what more we can do to provide the right housing in the right place, guarantee proper living conditions for all, and ensure our towns are places people want to live and work in over the long term," continued Ms Flint. Universities are already looking at ways to improve the situation. For example, many have invested heavily in new student halls, created community relations officers and Loughborough University now requires their students to sign a code of conduct. Advantage One Insurance your source for family health practitioner hmo quote | ppo insurance rates | hmo insurance | student health insurance quote | doctor insurance rates | family health practitioner | college health insurance quote | health quotes for children | sitemap PDF sitemap (c) Copyright 2009 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||