Basildon Council has launched a dedicated taskforce to target the illegal use of Houses in Multiple Occupation (HMOs) amid growing concerns over pressure on housing stock and the use of properties for asylum accommodation.
The new HMO Taskforce will investigate every complaint from residents, carry out property visits and, working alongside Essex Police, conduct out-of-hours raids on suspected illegal HMOs.
The council said the initiative was designed to protect local families and restore order to the borough’s housing market.
Councillor Adele Brown, cabinet member for housing and infrastructure, said: “Basildon has had enough. People are fed up with HMOs causing parking problems, noise, extra pressure on local services and the loss of proper family homes. This Taskforce is about putting that right and taking back control.”
EXPECT A KNOCK ON THE DOOR
Councillor Kerry Smith (main image), responsible for law and order, added: “We will not stand by while hard-nosed landlords exploit our housing stock. If you’re operating an illegal HMO, expect a knock on the door — day or night.”
The clampdown comes as the council steps up its campaign against the use of HMOs to house asylum seekers, an area where it has clashed with the Home Office.
While Basildon currently has no hotels or council-owned homes being used for asylum accommodation, councillors have raised concerns over Home Office contractors placing asylum seekers in private rented HMOs.
In a motion backed by council leader Gavin Callaghan, the authority last week committed to lobbying the government for a fairer national dispersal system, engaging with local hotel owners to prevent conversions into asylum accommodation, and implementing Article 4 Directions to curb the unchecked spread of HMOs.
DESTABILISING COMMUNITIES
Callaghan said: “Basildon’s family housing is already under significant pressure. The use of HMOs by private landlords and Home Office contractors risks destabilising our communities. Companies exploiting the housing crisis for profit should be removed from government contracts immediately.”
The council has also pledged a full audit of properties used by the Home Office or its contractors and said it would pursue enforcement action, including injunctions, where breaches of planning or licensing rules are uncovered.
The Home Office remains responsible for placing asylum seekers while applications are processed, with local authorities having no direct control over placements.
Callaghan said Basildon “has a proud history of welcoming those fleeing war and persecution” but warned that “compassion must go hand in hand with fairness” as housing pressures mount.
