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Campaigners demand tougher action on shared houses

Martin HeathHertfordshire political reporter
BBC File photo of terraced houses with walls of small brick and white-framed windows. There is a white notice attached to a post outside the houses which says "ROOM TO LET" in blue lettering.BBC
Campaigners say the number of HMOs in Potters Bar has gone from three to 102 in four years

A resident's group has demanded more action to control shared houses in a town.

The campaigners say there are as many as 62 suspected unlicensed houses in multiple occupation (HMOs) in Potters Bar, Hertfordshire.

Hertsmere Borough Council has agreed to introduce a rule requiring all HMOs to get planning permission - although it will not take effect immediately.

People living near HMOs in Potters Bar have been talking about the effect they have on the local area.

The campaigners say more than 3,500 people have signed their petition calling for Potters Bar to be protected "from the unregulated over-saturation of HMOs".

They claim 44 issues relating to health and safety risks connected to HMOs have been raised by local residents.

They believe the number of HMOs in Potters Bar has increased rapidly in recent years and the area has had to absorb far more of them that other nearby districts.

They said there were just three licensed HMOs in 2021, but the figure had grown to 102 by the end of 2025.

Jim Poptani Jim Poptani with very short hair and slight stubble, wearing a green T-shirt and smiling at the camera. There is someone else's hand on his right shoulder, and he is sitting on a brown bench in front of a brick wall.Jim Poptani
Jim Poptani says the number of HMOs in Potters Bar is on a "crazy uphill curve"

Jim Poptani, who has lived in Potters Bar for almost 40 years, said: "None of us are against HMOs whatsoever, because I think HMOs have a very good place in every community.

"It's just simply the numbers happening in Potters Bar over the years - it's on a kind of crazy uphill curve."

Nancy Smith Nancy Smith with long, dark brown hair smiling at the camera and wearing a blue and white striped T-shirt. She is standing by a wooden door with a glass window, and in front of a garden.Nancy Smith
Nancy Smith says many vulnerable people are unsuitably housed in HMOs

Nancy Smith moved from central London to Potters Bar three years ago, for "a bit of a change of pace".

She is worried that many occupants of HMOs are "vulnerable" and are being brought in from other boroughs to live in Potters Bar where "we have no charities to support them".

Smith said there was a nearby street with three HMOs alongside a family home, and an occupant of one of the shared houses had been "intimidated so much, he wasn't able to return home due to a violent incident where the police had to be called".

She added that, in another case, a man smashed a window in a neighbouring property and the owner had been unable to claim on the insurance as it had been a "mental health issue".

Google A residential street, with brick two-storey terraced housing. The houses have white window and door frames, and small lawns in front of them. There are low brick walls separating the gardens from the pavement. There are grass verges on the pavement and cars parked on the road. There is a street sign showing Carpenter Way to the left and Chace Avenue to the right. Google
Chace Avenue is one of the many roads with a high concentration of HMOs

Jim Hegarty moved to the area two years ago and believes landlords are cheating the planning system by applying for modifications to a family home.

He said: "They'll submit drawings that show that it's going to be a family home, the planning department takes them at their word, they don't ask for any declared use."

Within a few months, an application is then made for a change of use to a HMO.

He believes another popular technique is bombarding the council with planning applications in the hope that some will get through.

"If residents are trying to object," he says, "it's literally a full-time job."

Martin Heath/BBC A bedroom with a bed to the right and boxes and bags full of belongings on the floor to the left. The belongings include an exercise bike and a keyboard. There is a window in the background.Martin Heath/BBC
Tenants of HMO properties are often given very little space for their belongings

A petition of more than 3,500 signatures has been presented to the council by the campaigners.

It calls for an immediate Article 4 direction, which would require planning applications for any HMO, even smaller ones with as few as three bedrooms.

The petition also seeks a new rule requiring applicants for planning permission to state their intended use of a property, as well as a number of new licensing conditions.

Damages claims

Hertsmere Borough Council has now given formal notice of its intention to introduce an Article 4 direction, but it said: "An immediate Article 4 direction is far riskier than a fully-evidenced submission - developers can claim damages for not being able to proceed with their plans."

It added that its enforcement officers "will use their powers to regulate" any breach of planning regulations - and there was not enough evidence to suggest an additional licensing scheme was needed.

The council's response will leave campaigners frustrated, as the direction will not be implemented until a 12-month notice period has expired.

But the council will have to balance the aspirations of the campaigners with the risk to the council of leaving it open to legal action or allegations of discrimination against groups that are over-represented in HMOs.

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