A TEN-WEEK consultation on how thousands of shared houses in Oxford are regulated was approved last night.

Since January 2011, Oxford City Council has enforced a licensing scheme for landlords renting houses in multiple occupation (HMOs), which are classed as having three people or more from different families living in them.

But as revealed in the Oxford Mail last week, thousands of tenants in Oxford are still living in shared houses below the minimum standards.

Inspectors discovered cockroach infestations, damp, electrical hazards and poor fire safety in some of the homes across the city.

As of June last year, two-thirds of all licensed HMOs were still deemed to be below an acceptable standard.

The findings were included in a report produced by council officers that examined the first four years of the licensing scheme.

They have recommended that councillors continue the scheme for another five years.

In his report to councillors, head of the HMO enforcement team Adrian Chowns wrote: “It is clear from the findings of the review that there have been some positive successes with the introduction and delivery of the HMO licensing scheme.

“However, there is still more that needs to be done to maintain these standards and build upon the successes. There is a growing private rented sector and an increase in the number of HMOs in the city so constant pressure needs to be applied to ensure that standards do not decline.”