Ealing Lib Dems say more needs to be done and quickly to rectify housing hazards in HMOs

Ealing Labour have presided over a substantial rise (38%) in Houses of Multiple Occupation (HMOs) since they introduced the licensing regime (in 2022), in which landlords submit an online application, plans, and pay a fee to the Council.

The HMO licensing team considers whether the occupied HMO is safe, suitable and properly managed. They have a team of inspectors who checked HMO properties between April 2021 and April 2026, and shockingly they found that about two-thirds of properties had hazards.

The leading cause of hazards was fire safety issues (73%). This could include, for example, a lack of smoke detectors and/or fire doors and large items such as a fridge-freezer obstructing the main escape route for residents.

In addition, HMOs generated 3,649 anti-social behaviour incidents, including 2,004 waste-related incidents and 767 noise complaints for the same period. Ealing and Acton together account for over 60% of all HMOs in the borough.

The number of HMOs are as follows:

Councillor Jon Ball - Shadow Spokesperson for Planning, Licensing & Regeneration plus Whip, said: "Renters in Ealing should not have to gamble with their lives. Missing smoke detectors, blocked escape routes and bedrooms without windows are appalling.

"The Liberal Democrat Opposition backed extending HMO licensing because tenants deserve protection. These findings underline why it is needed. But the test of the scheme is how many dangerous homes are made safe, not how many licences are issued.

“Labour must now show how quickly these hazards are being fixed and what action follows when landlords fail to comply. Tenants need safe homes, neighbours need properly managed properties, and rogue landlords need to know that putting profit before safety has consequences.”