A key feature of the Welsh housing market over the past two decades has been a gradual ballooning of the private rented sector. The alterations in the profile of the Welsh housing stock and its consequences are well known, and have been debated many times in this Chamber. However, a not insignificant subsector within both the private and social rented sectors in Wales is houses in multiple occupation, or HMOs as they are commonly known. There seems to have been very little understanding of the lived experience of both residents living in and communities impacted by HMOs. The Government's focus has been on professionalising the sector, and, whilst this has brought welcome legislative developments surrounding minimum quality standards, any substantive action around community impact has yet to be taken seriously.

With shared living on the rise, housing policy in relation to HMOs needs urgently to be reviewed for the sake of communities and tenants. HMOs in south Wales are often placed in already established communities, with very little consideration allocated to the needs of the community and the people occupying the HMO.