Concerns have been raised over the fact multiple HMOs without up-to-date licences are registered in Oldham.

However, Lib Dem Cllr Sam Al-Hamdani has raised concerns after he questioned the council over a number of HMOs which appear to have expired licences on the public register.

“Residents of HMOs and near HMOs need to know that they are being run properly. The Council has failed to respond when it has been drawn to their attention that a number of properties show as having expired licences, and that is not good enough.

“If the Council fails to ensure that HMOs are up to standard, they are letting down many vulnerable people who live in them, and potentially the residents who live nearby too. It should be straightforward to answer all the questions that I raised, and I am extremely concerned that three weeks after I was promised a response, I have heard nothing.

“I lived in a shared house when I was a student and when I was first working, as do many people. HMOs are often looked down on, but if they are well run they are an important way to make more housing available. Sadly the rules around licensing exclude too many properties from the requirements, and need to be overhauled. We should be pressing for more HMOs to be licenced, instead of which the Council seems to be failing to enforce the licencing rules we have.”