• CHRISTOPHER Mason raises some interesting points in his letter about houses in multiple occupation (HMOs) that are increasing in the private rented sector, not just in Camden, but everywhere, (Houses in multiple occupation can pose problems, April 29).

This is because they provide cheaper accommodation for renters on lower incomes and landlords like them because they can squeeze a lot of small living units into a given space, and thus make a bigger profit.

As he pointed out it is often assumed that the people living in this type of accommodation are claiming benefits.

But in many cases this is not true owing to the landlord wanting to remain “off the radar”, because their HMO should be licensed and it isn’t.

We have also heard stories where the landlord regularly visits the property to collect the rent in cash only, and we’ll leave readers to draw their own conclusions as to why this is going on in an age of electronic payments.

The last time we looked, the total fee for a five-year licence in Camden was £545 for the HMO (house or flat) and £54.50 per individual unit (each bedroom / bedsit / studio in it).

We often see landlords railing against what they regard as extortionate fees being charged by local authorities, but we would ask, what is a few pounds a week compared with the rents being charged and the money being made from struggling renters?

The council has also said it estimates that “almost half of the 8,000 HMO properties in Camden remain unlicensed and are unlikely to meet the required standards”, and that’s why it’s important that as many of these properties are identified, licensed, and brought up to standard as quickly as possible.

So if you are living in a property that you think requires a licence or if you think there is a potential HMO near to you that should be investigated, you can let the council know by emailing: hmolicensing@camden.gov.uk or calling: 020 7974 5969.

We know from our own experience that this can be difficult to do, but some of the tell-tale signs to look out for are multiple doorbells, lots of people coming and going at different hours of the day and poorly maintained buildings.

To request an application form to become a member of our growing organisation, either call: 020 7383 0151, email: admin@cfpt.org.uk or go to: www.cfpt.org.uk and join online.

ROBERT TAYLOR
Camden Federation of Private Tenants