Glasgow families 'driven out' of West End amid concerns over property upkeep

Glasgow residents raised concerns regarding the condition of some properties which have a Houses in Multiple Occupation (HMO) licence with the city council.

They also identified issues with anti-social behaviour, noise nuisance and waste dumped inappropriately. On Wednesday the licensing committee approved tougher regulations on HMO holders to ensure these problems are addressed.

But Councillor Ken Andrew, who represents the Hillhead community, said the proposals were “weak” and more needed to be done to stop private companies abandoning the properties they lease to students.

He said: “ I find this report very weak. Many of the properties which operate as student accommodation are run by limited companies which have off-shore accounts in the British Virgin Islands and Caymen Islands.

“This means they avoid paying income tax. All the money they make goes off-shore. They are millionaires and don’t care about the properties they let.

“In 2014 there were problems with gable end at 1Vinicombe Street in Hillhead - where all the flats are HMO licensed. In 2016 they put up fencing to stop people from going underneath that end of the building and getting hit by a piece of stone. Eventually they replaced the stone with brick.

“Glasgow City Council are paying a 40 percent grant to these companies to encourage them to fix their buildings.

“I meet people in other properties which don’t need an HMO in the same building who are distraught at the state of it.

“It is an absolute disgrace and a scandal. It is destroying the community in Hillhead and Woodlands. The area is a dirty mess and there is a lot of anti-social behaviour.

“Families and couples are leaving the area as a result. There are not supposed to be any more than 10 percent HMO properties on one street but this seems to be ignored.

“It is the tax payer’s money which is used to fix these properties. I find this disgraceful.”