First of the controversial new HMO licences slammed by landlords could be issued in Portsmouth in spring

A 10-week consultation on the divisive additional licensing scheme, which would extend the existing system to three- and four-bedroom HMOS, finished earlier this month, drawing more than 1,000 responses and a decision is expected later this year.

Councillor Darren Sanders, the council’s cabinet member for housing, said the move would help raise standards in shared housing and would bring it into line with neighbouring cities, including Southampton and Brighton.

‘Many people worry about renting privately and we want to make it easier and safer for them to do so,’ he said. ‘The excellent response [to the consultation] means it will take some time to review and analyse what people have said. That means we are looking at a decision later this year.’

If brought in, the new system would set a series of conditions on safety and management that the landlords of thousands of smaller HMOs would need to meet.

Similar rules already cover shared homes with at least five tenants.

The idea has been backed by other councillors, including Labour group leader Cal Corkery, although he said it needed to be extended to cover all housing in the city.

Dom Owen, University of Portsmouth Students’ Union democracy and campaigns officer, said the move would force landlords to maintain higher standards in housing used largely by students.

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‘There are significant instances of subpar living standards in Portsmouth due to the prevalence of rogue landlords and this is the first step we should take to fix this,’ he said. ‘Rogue landlords in Portsmouth are clearly presenting a dire threat to the collective living conditions in Portsmouth.’

But landlords have warned the new licensing system would push up rents across the city and would encourage them to increase the size of smaller homes.

‘Our prediction is a significant increase in community landlords exiting the market, or repurposing for family let and a demand-led net growth in company landlords creating more super HMOs,’ Alwin Oliver, the vice-chairman of Portsmouth & District Private Landlords’ Association, said.

‘Overall, these proposals will push up rents – the median rent will jump 50 per cent.’