Align Barnet Council HMO Room Size Standards with National Guidelines — 7 signatures. Status: rejected.
Revert to the national minimum room size of 6.51 sqm where all other HMO conditions are met. Introduce safeguards against exploitation, including fair or proportionate pricing for smaller rooms. Maintain enforcement of all other HMO standards to protect tenants.
Barnet’s 10.2sqm rule reduces compliant HMO rooms, cutting supply of affordable housing and forcing landlords to raise rents on remaining rooms. It restricts lower-cost options for tenants, particularly those on limited incomes. The policy also conflicts with national standards, creating confusion, inefficiency, and potential legal disputes. The 6.51sqm limit already ensures safety; aligning with it would boost supply, improve affordability, and maintain protections.
View this petition on the official UK Parliament website