Residents on Princes Street in Mansfield are protesting a surge in Houses in Multiple Occupation (HMOs) that they say are destroying their community. The tension peaked after local authorities approved a plan to accommodate ten people within a single three-bedroom property .
The 10-person plan for 13 Princes Street
The approval of a planning application for 13 Princes Street has become a flashpoint for local anger in Mansfield. the property, a three-storey terrace,was previously a licensed HMO for six tenants but is being renovated to house ten people. The owners plan to retrofit four of the six bedrooms to accommodate couples and equip five bedrooms with hob cookers. Residents, including 75-year-old Cynthia Leveridge, have expressed outrage, noting that the addition of nine wheelie bins to the garden and the sheer density of occupants makes the home feel more like a hotel than a residence.
Leveridge, who has lived on the street for 47 years, says the area has shifted from a quiet suburb where children could play to one plagued by shouting and drug use. The move to increase occupancy at number 13 has left many neighbors feeling that the social cohesion of the street is being sacrificed for landlord profit.
From 41,000 to 57,000 annual HMO applications
The situation in Nottinghamshire reflects a broader trend across the United Kingdom, where landlords are increasingly converting family homes into high-density rentals.. as the report notes, HMO applications rose from 41,162 in 2018 to 57,725 in 2024. This shift is driven by a 2.3 per cent increase in demand for shared housing between 2024 and 2025, as single renters and couples struggle to afford independent properties.
By 2025, it is estimated that there will be approximately 472,823 HMOs operating across the UK. This massive structural shift in the rental market highlights how landlords are adapting their assets to charge fees per room rather than for an entire house, often at the expense of traditional neighborhood structures.
The £4 billion asylum support dilemma
Government efforts to reduce the asylum bill are contributing to the proliferation of these properties. Matthew Pennycook, the Minister for Housing and Planning, has identified dispersed accommodation, including HMOs, as a vital tool for housing those seeking refuge while claims are assessed. While Immigration Minister Anna Turley recently pledged to use larger sites like former military bases, over 72,000 asylum seekers currently live in non-hotel accommodations.
This system costs more than £4 billion annually , with a growing share of those funds flowing to private landlords who manage these properties. The tension between government policy and local community stability is becoming increasingly evident as more asylum seekers are moved into residential areas.
How many HMOs are actually on Princes Street?
A major point of contention is the gap between official records and the lived experience of Princes Street residents. While Mansfield Council records suggest there are only three HMOs on the street, residents argue this figure is fundamentally misleading. The report explains that the council only mandates licenses for "large" HMOs housing five or more people, whereas UK law defines an HMO as any property shared by at least three people from different households.
This discrepancy raises critical questions about the true scale of the HMO surge. It remains unverified how many smaller, unlicensed, or under-reported HMOs are operating on the street, and whether the current licensing threshold allows Mansfield Council to effectively monitor the density of the neighborhood.
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