A NEW planning law could provide relief for areas of Bournemouth that have too many student homes or shared houses.

The council wants landlords get planning permission before they can make a property a house of multiple occupancy – or HMO.

Residents have been complaining about rowdy, overfilled HMOs in student areas like Winton, or poor quality ones in areas like Boscombe.

A paper due at November’s cabinet meeting will propose making landlords apply for a change of use to a HMO for homes with more than three people.

Cllr Peter Charon, leader of the council, said: “It doesn’t mean we aim to prevent HMOs, but we do think we need control.”

The law would apply borough-wide, but Cllr Charon said the council was responding particularly to concerns in Winton, Wallisdown and Boscombe.

“I have already talked about the proposals with the Winton Forum and they were mightily pleased with it,” he said.

“People were getting very upset and unhappy because they were waiting years for action.”

The new rule would not affect complaints around noise or behaviour or existing HMOs. “This is not a panacea,” cautioned Cllr Charon.

Residents fighting a HMO application would need to argue it would affect their “residential amenity” – reducing residents’ quality of life.

The normal £335 planning application fee to change the use of a property would be waived in the case of HMOs.

The government has made the new rule possible by introducing changes in property classifications from October 1.