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Fed-up residents have said their once close-knit road should be renamed 'HMO Street' – as they accused 'greedy' landlords of turning more than a third of homes into shared properties.
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they → see → properties
Locals living on Princes Street in Mansfield, Nottingham, claim the boom in houses in multiple occupation 'HMO' has brought parking chaos, overflowing bins and a revolving door of strangers.
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boom → live → strangers
In a stretch of just 42 properties, at least 15 are now HMOs or houses converted into flats, with even more applications in the pipeline.
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15 → convert → pipeline
The latest row erupted after Mansfield District Council approved plans to expand an existing six-bedroom HMO into a ten-person property.
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Council → erupt → property
Another application was lodged in August to convert number 5 into a six-person HMO despite local objections.
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application → lodge → objections
Retired computer programmer Martin Radcliffe, 62, who has lived on the street since 1990, said the spread of HMOs was 'killing the community'.
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spread → live → community
He said: 'My guess is that every house that's had a for sale sign up on my side of the street has been converted into an HMO, bar one, in the last five years.
'
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that → say → years
One on the street sold for about £132,000 and these are big houses with 15 sq ft rooms.
'
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these → sell → rooms
What they've done is through permitted development, gutted the house completely and then they've put six bedrooms in.
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they → do → bedrooms
Residents on Princes Street in Mansfield, Nottinghamshire, say their neighbourhood is being overwhelmed by the growing number of HMOs and converted flats
Of around 42 properties, residents estimate that at least 15 are now HMOs or divided into flats, with further applications being submitted
'
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applications → say → flats
If you get in after 5pm you're lucky if you can find a parking space anywhere on the street.
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you → get → street
'Everybody is on the street, with these HMOs you've got more cars coming in and they park in the way and it gets absolutely ridiculous.'
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it → get → way
Grandad-of-one Martin said former family homes are now housing far more tenants.
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homes → say → tenants
He added: 'There's at least 20 people in these houses that used to be family homes.
'
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that → add → houses
The one next to me has a planning application to become a ten-person, six bedrooms but for ten people.
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one → have → people
'If you say that £100 a week is reasonable per person, that's £1,000 a week the landlord will be coining in.
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landlord → say → person
This place could generate £50,000 a year.
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place → generate → 50,000
If you let the whole house, a property like this goes for £680 to £900 for a family normally so turning them into HMOs is a big money maker.'
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turning → let → HMOs
Despite his concerns, Martin stressed the issue was not the tenants themselves.
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issue → stress → concerns
He said: 'They're just normal people that come and go.
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that → say → ?
'It could be that these are doctors or nurses staying for six months and then leaving.
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these → stay → months
Apparently these places are aimed at young professionals who live here for a few months and then go.
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who → aim → months
Residents have said the increase has caused severe parking problems, with some residents unable to use their own driveways.
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residents → say → driveways
Residents have complained of a perceived loss of the area's long-standing community feel, as tenants frequently move in and out.
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tenants → complain → feel
I have no idea who they are, they're quiet and they don't have rowdy parties.
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they → have → parties
HMOs seem to be breaking down the community because no one knows who you're living next door to anymore.'
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you → seem → who
Princes Street is 1.7 miles from Kings Mill Hospital, leading some residents to believe many tenants work for the NHS.
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tenants → lead → NHS
Lorry driver Lonel Tolan, 35, said the situation had become so bad he sometimes could not even use his own driveway.
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he → say → driveway
The father-of-two said: 'The parking is hell.
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parking → say → two
We had to leave our car on a different street last night because there was no room on the street.
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We → have → street
Sometimes it's impossible to park on your own drive.
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it → park → drive
Most of them have cars.
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Most → have → cars
'It's been in the last year that it's happened, they just appear.
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they → happen → year
We have nice people on our side, but when we see another stranger move in, it's not good.
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it → have → side
'Someone reversed a car into one neighbour's wall, trying to spin around.'
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Someone → reverse → wall
Neighbour Marius Oprea, 47, warned the problem could get worse unless the council tightens planning rules.
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council → warn → rules
He said: 'It is a problem and it will be in the future.
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it → say → future
If the council keeps giving them permission it will be a problem.
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it → keep → permission
There's one property that will have ten people in it.
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that → be → it
There's too many cars, sometimes they block our drives.
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they → be → drives
…and 23 more, not listed.
The Aporia
