Steering Group
Andrea Buse
Tel: 02380 832 680
Fax: 02380 832 029
Email: andrea.buse@southampton.gov.uk
I am an EHO who has worked in the HMO field for over 7 years and am currently the Team Leader of a Housing Improvement Team at Southampton City Council, which deals with all aspects of private sector housing. Prior to the Council’s reorganisation, I was Team Leader of the HMO team.
Southampton is a large unitary authority with a huge private sector housing stock and approximately 7,500 HMOs. There has been a city wide HMO registration scheme with special control provisions since 1999 which was very successful.
Since the Housing Act 2004 came into force, I have been responsible for introducing transitional and mandatory HMO licensing in Southampton, where it is also intended to introduce additional licensing. Southampton also has an accreditation scheme for student housing, run in partnership with the local higher education establishments and a further scheme has recently been introduced to cover other private rented accommodation in the city.
I have been a member of the Network’s Steering Group since 2003 and became Secretary in April 2007.