A Kent council is looking to crack down on houses in multiple occupation (HMOs) amid fears that too many concentrated in one area could "damage" communities.

Members of Swale Borough Council (SBC) will vote next week on whether or not HMOs require planning permission.

Houses in multiple occupation are any properties where numerous people who are not from the same family live together.

Some are rented out by the room, some are rented as whole properties – the latter with tenants more likely to know each other who have agreed to move in together.

The living arrangement has a reputation for being common among young professionals, students, or recent immigrants.

HMOs of five or more people with shared facilities require a licence and are added to a public register of HMOs.

According to S

See Full Page