A development company specialising in the provision of houses in multiple occupancy (HMOs) is seeking to gain a Lawful Development Certificate for one of its properties.

Yalding-based RND Estates says it is already operating No 90 Holland Road in Maidstone as a six-bedroom HMO and has a licence from Maidstone council to do so.

It says the conversion from a single dwelling to a home with six bedrooms for tenants from separate households was allowed under “permitted development rights”.

It is now seeking to “confirm” that by seeking a Lawful Development Certificate for the change of use of the property.

The plans show six bedrooms, supported by a shared kitchen/lounge, and a single bathroom.

There is also a seventh room, marked as a store room.

Elsewhere, the same company has just successfully been granted permission to convert a store room at a 13-bed HMO it owns in Loose Road, Maidstone, to create an HMO for 14 households.

The borough council has granted permission, even though the store room at 466 Loose Road, which has a floor space of 8.62sq metres, falls below the minimum room-size requirement for an HMO, which is 9sq metres.

In addition, the property offers only 11 parking spaces.

The council, which has promised to tighten up the rules on HMOs after a number of complaints from the public and councillors, is in the process of preparing a new HMO policy.

The policy, which has already gone out to public consultation, requires that HMOs have the same parking standards as flats - ie, one parking space per bedroom.

Under the draft policy, which has yet to be adopted, 466 Loose Road would therefore be required to have 14 spaces, not 11.

There has been a plethora of HMO applications in recent weeks ahead of the new regulations, including plans for HMOs in Hayle Road, Week Street, Douglas Road and St Michael’s Road.

The new HMO policy will be going to the Planning and Healthier Stronger Communities Policy Advisory Committee on Wednesday, July 2.

Find out about planning applications that affect you at the Public Notice Portal.

To read details about the Holland Road application, visit the Maidstone council website and search for planning reference 25/502102.

To see details about 466 Loose Road, search for reference 25/501293.