EAST Oxford residents have called for tighter regulations on shared houses.

More than 60 people attended the first East Area Forum at East Oxford Primary School on Monday to discuss Oxford City Council’s sites and housing development plan.

It is proposed to limit the number of houses in multiple occupation (HMOs) to no more than 20 per cent in any 100m stretch of road.

Residents raised concerns about the levels of existing house shares and problems with antisocial behaviour in areas where there were large numbers of HMOs.

David Colbeck, of London Place, said: “HMOs get abused and family houses become HMOs by default. Bins are left out, gardens are not maintained – that is why they are pretty unwelcome.”

Penelope Newson, from East Avenue, said: “The reason we object to HMOs is the way they behave.”

Iffley Fields councillor David Williams blamed an “underlying housing crisis” and raised concerns that many HMOs would not be registered and therefore policed because landlords living on site would claim their rooms were occupied by lodgers rather than tenants.

But planner Matt Bates said new legislation would mean only two lodgers would be permitted. Any more would require the house to be registered as an HMO.