Warden plan for HMOs
Thursday, 12 June 2008
COLERAINE councillors have reacted favourably to the idea of a Holylands style community safety warden 'floating' about the borough to monitor anti social behaviour in student housing areas.
Terry Waide, Principal Officer with the Northern Ireland Housing Executive, 'floated' the idea at the Council's recent Leisure and Environment committee meeting.
He informed councillors of the NIHE financial support towards the cost of employing eight community safety wardens in Belfast's Holylands and an additional four wardens in Derry.
The NIHE Principal Officer informed councillors of a need to update legislation aimed at landlords who have houses in multiple occupancy (HMO's). Any house where three individuals from three separate families are living under the one roof is defined by the NIHE as an HMO.
The NIHE is prioritising all three and four storey buildings in the borough in its first wave of HMO inspections.
Within the borough, Portstewart already has 400 HMO registrations, Coleraine has 210, and Portrush has 235 registered. Coleraine has an additional 193 HMO applications pending with 50 Portrush properties awaiting inspection.
HMO tenants are at a much higher statistical risk from fire, burglarly, noise nuisance, anti-social behaviour and vandalism of personal property.
