A family home in west London is set to become an HMO (House of Multiple Occupation) despite over 100 objections by locals.

Residents raised concerns about the high concentration of HMOs in Perivale, however the council says there are no restrictions on the concentration of these types of houses, and the planning application was approved.

Last month, a planning officer at Ealing Council recognised the high number of HMOs in Perivale in a separate application for a property conversion seeking to place 11 tenants in a 6-bedroom HMO. This application was subsequently refused in May 2025.

At the time, the officer said: "There is a high concentration of HMOs in Perivale (325 recorded), with associated concerns regarding amenity, waste management, parking, and community infrastructure pressures."

However, planning officers did not have the same concerns for this property in Wyresdale Crescent, as it is a five-bedroom property for single tenants only. The officer said in the report that there is "no planning policy restricting overconcentration of HMO in residential areas and therefore this cannot form a direct reason of refusal".

The planning officer later said that the proposed development is "not expected to cause unacceptable amenity impact on the neighbouring properties", recommending that the application is approved.

As of September 2024, Ealing Council estimated having over 8,300 HMOs in the borough. Two months earlier in July, Perivale residents gathered outside Ealing Council to protest "the proliferation of HMOs".

The new HMO on Wyresdale Crescent, Perivale (credit: Google Maps).

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At the time, residents told the Local Democracy Reporting Service [LDRS] that the "greed of opportunistic landlords" and a council with "little transparency" had led to fears neighbourhoods were being converted into "rental farms".

Ealing Council says HMOs are important in "reducing pressure on other elements of housing stock". In October 2024, the council introduced Article 4 Directions (A4D), which forced landlords to obtain planning permission for smaller HMOs.

One of the objectors cited the A4D as a reason to reject what they see as a "saturation" of HMOs in the area. However, the property obtained an HMO licence before this rule was enforced on new HMOs.

Other concerns included the potential for poor living conditions inside the property, however every bedroom meets minimum standards under Ealing Council HMO licensing rules. The planning officer also responded to concerns about antisocial behaviour arguing "the issue is largely related to actions of the individuals involved, rather than necessarily the type of accommodation they would live in".

The council has enforced conditions on the planning permission relating to household waste and cycle parking spaces. The landlord must provide a secure refuse area and several spaces for future residents to park their bikes.