Local MP says HMOs, including student ones, are a ‘brewing problem’ in Selly Oak

Al Carns, the Labour MP for Selly Oak, has spoken on the “brewing problem” of HMOs and exempt housing.

The term HMO stands for a house in multiple occupancy comprising of three or more tenants sharing bathroom or kitchen facilities.

Therefore, due to the vast amount of student housing, HMOs disproportionately affect the Selly Oak constituency. For instance, a 2015 report by Birmingham City Council found that despite being the third smallest constituency in Birmingham, Selly Oak has the fourth highest population density.

This comes in response to rising frustration from residents over the growing waste issue caused by continuing bin strikes. This has only worsened Birmingham’s infamous rat problem with residents struggling to find ways to keep the rats off their property.

According to Birmingham Live, residents feel as though the council have a “blanket acceptance” of HMOs in the constituency and the number of properties used as HMOs is growing unchecked.

Indeed, the increasing student population makes more HMOs a seeming inevitability, with residents admitting the issue is not with the students themselves, but with the cumulation of the multiple occupancy households.

Mr Carns recently held a meeting at the University of Birmingham’s Guild of Students during which he spoke to numerous students about the problems facing the constituency. Such topics included HMOs as well as crime, with Selly Oak only being served by 20 police officers.

Thoroughly enjoyed meeting University of Birmingham students at the Guild for a round table yesterday. We discussed
safety around Selly Oak and what changes we can make. pic.twitter.com/IjK2ul9PaB

— Al Carns (@AlistairCarns) April 10, 2025

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George Day, who attended the meeting, said Mr Carns told students that despite having a population of around 100,000, Selly Oak is served by the same waste services as a suburb with 30,000 residents.

George claimed that Mr Carns appeared not to be against HMOs themselves, but rather the illegal extensions and actions of landlords.

In this way, landlords’ legal obligations are often unaccounted for due to the lack of legislation. As a result, Mr Carns believes the solution to be strengthening legislation to ensure HMOs are developed at an appropriate rate.

With Selly Oak labelled as the “garbage capital of Birmingham”, Birmingham City Council has also emphasised the importance of the roles played by both residents and the council in relieving the waste issue.

The cabinet member for environment, Cllr Majid Mahmoud, explained the council has co-operated with organisations such as the Guild to encourage solutions within the area. For example, the Guild’s Community Wardens have organised litter pick events to help keep the community clean.

The council has also declared a Public Space Protection Order (PSPO) as the “last resort”. However, according to the BBC, it has already labelled the strike as a “major incident” and sought the advice of military planners to help resolve the issue.

Although Mr Carns is keen to tackle the issue of HMOs in the following years, he is also optimistic toward the development of the life sciences centre, a new university facility in Selly Oak, and what it will achieve regarding employment in the area as well as scientific research.

Featured images via Parliament UK and @AlistairCarns on X