Labour-run Oxford City Council has taken tough action on houses in multiple occupation. After listening to the concerns of local residents the Council has taken action to ensure local communities have a balance of housing, rather than HMOs taking over entire areas. At the same time, Oxford has led the way in introducing a system of licensing, which means that all HMOs have to be inspected to ensure they are safe and meet minimum standards, and landlords have to manage properties appropriately. If the landlord allows their property to fall below the required standard then they can be fined by the courts.

Ed Turner, Labour Councillor for Rose Hill and Iffley and Deputy Leader of Oxford City Council, said: "Oxford City Council now has the toughest regulation of HMOs in the country and it really shows that Labour is committed to balanced communities. There will be a bar against new HMOs in streets where they already make up 20% of houses. This is an important issue in Oxford and I hope we will see real improvements to our streets".

Andrew Smith, Labour MP for Oxford East, said: "I have worked alongside the local council over a number of years to find a way of protecting local communities and these new planning rules will do just that. These changes are good news, both for tenants who live in HMOs and their neighbours who live on their street".