A WORCESTER residents association is putting together a list of Houses of Multiple Occupancy (HMO) in the area in an effort to ensure landlords are abiding by new rules.

From this month any landlord wishing to convert a property in the city into a HMO – a house occupied by at least three people, of which at least one is unrelated to the others, sharing facilities such as a bathroom, toilet or kitchen, – will need planning permission from Worcester City Council.

In an effort to ensure landlords are abiding by the new rules the Arboretum Residents Association is putting together a register of all HMOs in the area.

The rules also require all HMOs in Worcester to be registered with the city council and are intended to ensure landlords abide by health and safety regulations and increase the quality of rented accommodation in the city.

Residents of the Arboretum – which has a high concentration of HMOs, including several student properties – are being asked to let the association know if they are aware of any houses which are being used as such so it can be ensured they are registered with the council.

The rules are also intended to allow the authority to control the number of HMOs in each area of the city.

To let the Arboretum Residents Association know about any HMOs which are not included on the register, which currently lists 27 properties and can be viewed at thearboretum.com, call 07712 276 697 or email enquiries@thearboretum.org.uk.