The owner of a seven-bedroom property in Stevenage, which the local authority says is unlawfully operating as a 'house of multiple occupation' (HMO), has submitted evidence in a bid to obtain a certificate of lawfulness.

Earlier this year, the owner of a York Road terraced house applied to Stevenage Borough Council for a Lawful Development Certificate on the grounds the property has been used as a HMO for more than 10 years.

A HMO is a shared house occupied by individuals who share basic amenities but do not form a single household.

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The owner says the house has been a HMO since July 2011, when the first tenants moved in.

However, Stevenage Borough Council said the evidence submitted failed to prove the property has been operating as a larger house of multiple occupation for a continuous period of 10 years, only that it was a HMO in 2011/12.

It therefore concluded that the use of the property as a HMO is "not lawful".

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Now, the owner has reapplied for a certificate of lawfulness, submitting evidence which includes 'statements of truth' from the owner, landlord and builder who says he converted the house into a HMO.

A decision is set to be made before October 5.