Home Office “not ruling out” HMOs to accommodate asylum seekers
HMOs (houses in multiple occupation) are ordinary houses rented out by the room, often with shared kitchens and bathrooms
Last updated 12th Feb 2026
The Home Office is “not ruling out” using shared houses, or HMOs, to accommodate asylum seekers in Spelthorne, according to a new letter.
In a letter to the government sent this week, the leader of Spelthorne Borough Council, Cllr Joanne Sexton, said she was frustrated at what she described as a lack of clear answers.
The letter read: “For the avoidance of doubt, please confirm whether my understanding of your comments is correct: that the Home Office is not ruling out the use of HMOs in Spelthorne as alternative asylum accommodation.”
HMOs (houses in multiple occupation) are ordinary houses rented out by the room, often with shared kitchens and bathrooms. They are commonly used by students or working adults. The Home Office has used HMOs to house people seeking asylum in other parts of the country including Swindon.
Cllr Sexton first wrote to Minister for Border Security and Asylum, Alex Norris MP, in November 2025 about concerns over the Home Office potentially buying HMOs in Spelthorne with the view to house asylum seekers.
Now, three letters and three months later, Mr Norris has responded.
According to a summary of his letter by Spelthorne council, the minister acknowledged the pressure on the asylum system, confirmed that continued hotel use is unsustainable and outlined work to identify alternative sites, including former military locations.
He also stated that, for safety, security and wellbeing reasons, the Home Office does not publicly disclose details of properties that may or may not be used.
The issue follows questions over asylum accommodation already in place locally. Cllr Sexton said she understood that just under 100 asylum seekers had previously been housed at the Stanwell Hotel in Stanwell village.
The Government has since said fewer people are now living there. The council leader has asked where the remaining individuals have gone and whether numbers could rise again.
But HMOs are themselves already seen as a controversial issue in the borough. Residents have complained the shared housing bring noise and nuisance into the neighbourhood.
So much so that Spelthorne council has introduced new rules to make it harder to turn family homes into small shared houses.
From August 29, 2025, in parts of Staines, Ashford and Stanwell, landlords will no longer be able to automatically convert a family home into a small HMO for up to six people.
They will need planning permission first. Larger shared houses already require permission. By March 2026, these tighter rules are expected to apply across the whole borough.
In response to a request for comment from the LDRS a Home Office spokesperson said: “We are furious at the level of illegal migrants and asylum hotels.
“This government will close every asylum hotel. Work is well underway, with more suitable sites, such as military bases, being brought forward to ease pressure on communities and cut asylum costs.
“We are working closely with local authorities, property partners and across-government so that we can accelerate delivery.”