Key Points
- Greenwich Council has introduced tougher planning measures designed to tackle rogue landlords converting family homes into houses in multiple occupation (HMOs).
- The new regulations allow planners to refuse applications based on size limits, targeting properties under 130 square metres to prevent over-densification.
- Council officials confirmed that three recent HMO applications—in Plumstead and Eltham—have already been recommended for refusal under the revised guidelines.
- Cabinet member for planning, Councillor Aidan Smith, along with council representatives, stated that if these powers had existed over the past five years, 84 per cent of HMO applications would have been rejected on internal floor space grounds alone.
- Community group Local Voices on HMOs welcomed the heightened restrictions but warned that the rules do not go far enough to stop the over-concentration of HMOs or protect local family housing.
- Residents in Plumstead have raised ongoing concerns regarding anti-social behaviour, fly-tipping, and pressure on local amenities caused by rapid HMO expansion.
- Local Voices on HMOs has requested an urgent meeting with the cabinet member to press for improved coordination between planning, licensing, and enforcement departments.
Plumpstead (South London News) October 26, 2026 — Greenwich Council has secured enhanced planning powers to reject applications to convert standard residential properties into houses in multiple occupation (HMOs), following sustained demands from local communities for stricter controls on private developers.
As reported by Noah Vickers of local government reporting services, Greenwich planners have recommended three separate HMO conversion applications for refusal due to the small footprint of the existing properties. The sites affected include 82 Bramblebury Road and 70 St Margarets Terrace in Plumstead, as well as 12 Halons Road in Eltham. Under the newly adopted policies, local authorities can block conversions where the original dwelling falls below a minimum internal floor space threshold of 130 square metres, ensuring that smaller family homes are protected from being partitioned into micro-units.
Addressing the policy shift, the Greenwich Council cabinet member for planning introduced the measures as an essential tool to “crack down on rogue HMO landlords” who prioritize profit over living standards. As reported by The Greenwich Wire, council representatives emphasized that the policy carries significant weight. According to figures released by the local authority, had these specific floor space controls been in effect over the previous five years, 84 per cent of all HMO planning applications submitted in the borough would have been turned down based on size criteria alone. Council officials further highlighted that landlords operating without appropriate licensing face robust enforcement measures, including potential civil penalty fines reaching up to £40,000.
Why are Plumstead residents concerned that the new planning rules fall short?
Despite the strengthening of local planning policy, community organizations in southeast London maintain that the measures fail to address the core problems facing neighborhoods experiencing high concentrations of shared rentals.
As reported by Local Democracy Reporting Service journalist Charlotte Lillywhite, members of the campaign group Local Voices on HMOs acknowledged the progress represented by the new restrictions, but expressed frustration that the council’s response remains insufficient. A spokesperson for Local Voices on HMOs stated:
“We welcome the move to restrict HMOs in properties under 130sqm, but more needs to be done to address over-concentration and protect family homes.”
Residents in Plumstead have voiced long-standing grievances regarding the rapid proliferation of high-density properties, pointing to persistent issues such as severe parking congestion, overflowing waste bins, fly-tipping, and an erosion of community cohesion. Speaking on behalf of affected households, the Local Voices on HMOs spokesperson added:
“We have requested a meeting with the councillor but are still waiting for the opportunity to discuss our concerns. The council also needs to demonstrate better coordination between planning, licensing and enforcement to ensure policies are effective and properly implemented. We are not anti-HMO; we are residents who care about our community and are seeing first-hand how it is changing. We want a balanced approach that protects family housing and ensures residents’ voices are heard.”
Greenwich Council has not provided a definitive timeframe as to whether or when the relevant cabinet members will meet with the neighborhood representatives to address their outstanding proposals.
Background of the HMO planning and licensing controls in Greenwich
Houses in multiple occupation have formed a major focus of planning debate across the Royal Borough of Greenwich for several years. Historically, under national permitted development rights in England, converting a single-family dwelling (Use Class C3) into a small HMO for three to six occupants (Use Class C4) did not require explicit planning permission.
To combat the unchecked conversion of terraced housing, Greenwich Council introduced a borough-wide Article 4 Direction in September 2022. This directive removed automatic permitted development rights across the entire borough, requiring property developers to submit full planning applications for any proposed C3 to C4 conversion regardless of tenant numbers.
Alongside planning constraints, the local authority expanded its property licensing framework. On January 1, 2024, Greenwich implemented a borough-wide Additional Licensing scheme, making it mandatory for all private rented properties occupied by three or four unrelated tenants to hold a valid licence. This was established alongside Selective Licensing schemes across targeted wards to enforce landlord standards, safety checks, and waste management protocols.
Despite the introduction of the Article 4 Direction and mandatory licensing schemes, planning committees continued to face legal hurdles under existing local policy frameworks when turning down applications for smaller terraced properties. Landlords frequently won appeals through the Planning Inspectorate if room sizes technically met national minimum space standards. The latest policy revision introducing the 130-square-metre baseline was designed specifically to give local decision-makers clearer grounds to preserve traditional family-sized housing stock.
Prediction: How will these developments impact local residents, renters, and property owners?
The implementation of stricter floor space controls alongside existing Article 4 and licensing frameworks will shape the local residential environment in several distinct ways across Greenwich and Plumstead:
1. Protection of single-family housing stock for local residents
Owner-occupiers and families seeking long-term accommodation in areas like Plumstead and Eltham are likely to see a reduction in the rate at which Victorian and Edwardian terraced houses are bought by investment companies for conversion. By ruling out properties under 130 square metres, the majority of standard two- and three-bedroom terraced houses will effectively be shielded from conversion into multi-let units, stabilizing the ratio of permanent family households to transient private renters.
2. Shifts in rental supply and cost for private tenants
While the regulations aim to elevate tenant living conditions by ending overcrowding in small properties, the tighter limits will restrict the overall growth rate of low-cost bed-space supply within the borough. As smaller HMO conversions become legally unviable, available shared accommodation may experience increased price pressures, potentially driving rental costs higher for low-income workers, young professionals, and students relying on HMO properties in outer south-east London.
3. Heightened enforcement exposure for private landlords
Property developers and private landlords will face significantly higher planning entry barriers. Investor focus is likely to pivot toward larger properties exceeding the 130-square-metre threshold or away from Greenwich entirely to neighboring boroughs with less stringent policies. Furthermore, with the council reinforcing its compliance teams and highlighting penalties of up to £40,000 for unlicensed operations, unapproved HMOs will face accelerated closure and enforcement actions.
4. Continued pressure for unified planning and licensing enforcement
Community groups such as Local Voices on HMOs will continue to push local authorities for broader structural changes. Residents are expected to maintain pressure on local councillors to establish strict saturation limits—preventing multiple HMOs from operating on the same street—and to force closer operational links between council planning officers and housing enforcement inspectors to eliminate unpermitted conversions.
