Steve Yemm MP: Enough is enough: It's time to control the spread of HMOs in Mansfield
Every week, I speak to residents from across Mansfield who tell me the same thing: something’s changing on their street.
Once quiet neighbourhoods are now dominated by transient tenants. Longstanding neighbours are moving out. Front gardens are overgrown, bins are overflowing, and antisocial behaviour is creeping in. The cause? Often a growing number of unregulated HMOs (House of Multiple Occupancy).
Let’s be clear. There is absolutely a place for high-quality, well-managed shared housing. When done properly, HMOs provide affordable housing for young people, single tenants, or key workers who need a foot on the ladder. But what we are seeing in Mansfield isn’t about need- it’s about profit. Landlords are snapping up family homes and converting them into HMOs, often without planning consent, and without any thought for the wider community.
That’s why I believe that Mansfield District Council should act – by properly considering the introduction of Article 4 directions in affected areas, to bring back proper local control.
An Article 4 direction would mean landlords can no longer convert a family home into an HMO without full planning permission. It gives the council and local residents a say in whether such changes are right for the neighbourhood. Other councils across the country have already done it - so why not Mansfield?
This isn’t about opposing renters or targeting tenants. It’s about protecting the balance of our communities. Children should be able to grow up on streets where they know their neighbours. Older residents shouldn’t feel anxious about noise, litter or parking chaos from overcrowded properties.
The current situation isn’t sustainable. Streets are becoming saturated. Services are under strain. And family housing is being squeezed out of the market. That’s not fair.
The council needs to get a grip on this. I’m urging them to identify hot-spot areas and introduce Article 4 before the problem spreads further.
We need the right homes in the right places. That means standing up to those putting profits before people. Let’s build communities again, not carve them up.