Enfield Council to cut HMO threshold to 10% per street after surge in approvals

Enfield Council will reduce the permitted proportion of houses in multiple occupation (HMOs) on residential streets from 20% to 10%. The change follows a surge in new HMO licences and planning approvals, with campaigners reporting an average of more than one new HMO granted planning permission each day in the borough.

The council’s Conservative administration announced the measures this month, including the formation of a dedicated HMO taskforce. The group will target properties causing antisocial behaviour, waste management issues, and illegal operations. Deputy leader Michael Rye, who oversees planning, said the council would adopt a "zero-tolerance approach to enforcement".

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Cross-party support for stricter controls

Labour councillors backed the move, with Jubilee ward representative Ian Barnes describing HMOs as "a virus rapidly spreading across our borough". Barnes told a full council meeting last month that a large portion of his casework involved complaints about HMOs, including noise, drug use, and overcrowding.

“A large proportion of my casework stems from HMOs. Antisocial behaviour; drugs being smoked in back gardens; video games being played until dawn, you can hear that echoing through the walls; fast-food mopeds lined up outside HMOs.”

Ian Barnes, Enfield councillor for Jubilee ward

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A motion proposed by Labour councillor Susan Erbil called for the 20% threshold to be halved, arguing it no longer reflected resident concerns. The motion also urged a "comprehensive review" of HMO policies and lobbying for tougher national regulations. Enfield Conservatives supported the motion, having pledged in their May manifesto to "challenge the proliferation" of HMOs.

Local Plan revisions demanded by planning inspector

The draft Enfield Local Plan will be strengthened to include a specific HMO policy, following criticism from planning inspector Steven Lee. Lee wrote that the initial plan lacked sufficient safeguards, particularly around clustering, noise, and parking standards. The revisions will address these gaps before the plan is formally adopted.

Matt Burn of campaign group Better Homes Enfield welcomed the inspector’s findings but criticised the previous Labour administration for omitting HMO protections in the original plan. Burn wrote in a blog post that a borough with Enfield’s housing pressures "should never have submitted a new Local Plan without proper HMO safeguards from the outset".

What happens next

The council will finalise changes to the Local Plan, including the new HMO policy, before formal adoption. Rye said he would bring a revised HMO policy to council "as strict as we can" once the plan is in place. The taskforce will begin enforcement work immediately, with potential increases to licence fees under review to pressure poorly managed HMOs.