Conservative councillor Tony Shields said the lack of paper notifications about HMO conversions means neighbours are being excluded from the process.
“Once-quiet family streets are changing beyond recognition, too many conversions, too little oversight and almost no communication from the Liberal Democrat administration,” Cllr Shields told the chamber.
Criticism was also made of the council’s decision to cut postal notifications to neighbours in March 2024.
While not a statutory requirement, many councils across the country provide postal notifications to residents living in the immediate vicinity of a neighbour’s plan to convert their property into an HMO.
Lib Dem councillor and Chair of the Housing, Economy and Business Committee, Jake Short, said the council was forced to cut them due to “Conservative austerity”.
In response, Conservative councillor Eric Allen said Sutton residents “only find out what happened after the builders or tenants arrive”.
Residents can also view applications on nearby lamp posts or via the planning portal, but critics said this method excludes many elderly residents.
The Lib Dem council rejected the opposition’s call for notifications to be sent to all properties within a 100-metre radius of the application address, saying they would change tack when austerity is “reversed”.
In its absence, former Planning Committee Chair Richard Clifton said the job of notifying residents of these changes sits with councillors themselves.
Councillors were united in their concern about the sharp increase in HMOs across the borough, with conversions among privately rented homes in Sutton rising by 34 per cent between 2011 and 2021, according to Tory figures.
Sutton currently has around 900 HMOs, whereas by comparison, the Royal Borough of Greenwich had 811 licensed HMOs as of July this year.
Cllr Short told the chamber: “Every one of us has been concerned by the increase in HMOs across the borough in recent years.”
However, the Lib Dems said a key reason for this rise was a 2018 change that reclassified many two-storey houses as HMOs.
On the issue of notifications, Cllr Short said the council had seen increased engagement with planning applications through the online portal, but claimed Councillor Shields “chose not to include that in his motion”.
Cllr Shields argued that HMOs were making Sutton “subordinate to London” and that it had absorbed “inner-city density” against residents’ wishes.
Fears about the pressure that the growing number of HMOs could place on the borough’s local services were also raised during the meeting.
Commenting on the recent rise, Cllr Shields said HMOs bring “more parking pressure, overflowing bins and a real sense that the community fabric is being pulled apart. We are losing what we say we need, that is, three-bedroom houses”.
He added: “Let’s be honest, we have reached saturation point. Our streets, our schools, our infrastructure simply cannot sustain this unchecked expansion.”
The Local Democracy Reporting Service has previously reported on how a number of three-bedroom family homes, and even a popular doctor’s surgery in Carshalton, have been converted into HMOs.
Cllr Shields said “the quick fix of HMOs is turning into a property developer’s bonanza”, and that residents are the ones who miss out.
Councillors praised the introduction of the Article 4 Direction this year, which withdrew permitted development rights for the conversion of family homes into smaller HMOs, meaning they need planning permission.
The council also plans to introduce a borough-wide HMO licensing scheme to improve housing standards, protect tenants and target rogue landlords.
This is expected to come into force in spring 2026. Under the scheme, landlords would cover the cost of licences, which would fund inspections, enforcement, fines, prosecutions and, in serious cases, management of problem homes.
Following approval of the amended motion, Sutton Council agreed to update its HMO Licensing Policy to require landlords to secure planning permission before or alongside applying for a licence. The Licensing Team will also consider any planning enforcement action when assessing applications, including breaches that could affect a landlord’s suitability or the safety of the property.
The chamber also heard that 113 complaints were made to Environmental Health in 2024/25 relating to licensed HMOs across the borough.
However, councillors stressed that their criticism was directed at developers driving the surge, not at the residents living in them.
Lib Dem councillor Jayne McCoy said: “Let’s not stigmatise those living in HMOs, as HMOs do meet a need. I am not a fan of HMOs.
“People live in them because that is all that is available.”
Councillor Ed Parsley, who has lived next to an HMO for 27 years, added: “It should not be assumed that people who live in HMOs are more antisocial than someone in a family home.”
