Tenants, landlords and those living or working near houses in multiple occupation (HMOs) in Portsmouth still have time to share their experiences in a survey before it closes on Sunday 16 January.
Hundreds of local people have shared their views so far, but there are still opportunities for tenants, landlords and residents to have their say. As well as being able to take part in the survey online or by phone, there are also drop-in sessions planned in Cosham, North End, Southsea and the city centre between 12 and 14 January.
According to estimates developed by Portsmouth City Council, there are around 6,000 HMOs in Portsmouth. An HMO is a property that has at least three tenants who form more than one household, but who share areas like kitchens or bathrooms.
For tenants, the survey explores topics including how long people have lived in HMOs, the quality of the accommodation and how comfortable people feel talking to their landlord about repairs, while for landlords the focus is more about getting a feel for the types of issues they face and whether they’d value more input from the council. Local residents who live or work near HMOs will also be asked about the type of impact these properties may have on their day-to-day life.
Cllr Darren Sanders, the council’s Cabinet Member for Housing and Preventing Homelessness, said: “I’d urge local people to find a few minutes in their day to take part in this survey. We know that many landlords managing and tenants living in HMOs do right by each other, but we know that for some it can be challenging. We want to support tenants, landlords and local people to the best of our ability – and need their input to do that.”
There are lots of ways to take part:
Complete a survey online by visiting portsmouth.gov.uk/HMO-survey
Call 023 9261 6708 to complete over the phone
Pick up a paper copy by visiting a library, community centre or the Civic Offices
Attend a drop-in event if unable to take part online or over the phone:
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- North End Library, Gladys Avenue, PO2 9AX – 10am to 12pm on Wednesday 12 January
- Civic Offices, Guildhall Square, PO1 2AL – 2pm to 4pm on Wednesday 12 January
- Cosham Library, Spur Road, PO6 3EB – 10am to 12pm on Thursday 13 January
- Southsea Library, 19-21 Palmerston Road, PO5 3QQ – 10am to 2pm on Friday 14 January
There will be safety measures in place for drop-in events to help reduce the risk of spreading COVID-19. Anyone planning to attend a drop-in event should wear a face covering where required and clean their hands regularly, and are also encouraged to use at home rapid tests in line with the latest government guidance. People should not attend if they have symptoms of coronavirus, no matter how mild.
