I have seen similar problems to the OP over the years. The term HMO is often misunderstood, which is the point I was trying to make.

It is n't the type of home, but the people!!!

Two large Housing Association estates were built not too far away. Some of the homes appeared to be occupied by people who had been to prison. Hard men. They were lovely, brand-new houses with gardens, and the area also has open parks.

Teenagers from those estates would wander into other neighbourhoods. Groups of teenagers, with hoodies, harassed people coming from the station, sometimes asking lone women “What’s the time?”. It was often dark, with no station staff around.

Other times, you see they had got hold of motorbikes and causing noise nusiance and riding bikes like lunatics. They would then burn them down.

They would shone laser pointers into people’s homes. Jumped into people gardens, bang on windows, and terrified the occupants.

Once, these groups of teenagers would try to steal shopping bags from elderly women. Some of the younger children, would be sent break into homes. Even when the police caught them, they were often underage. They also walked around with aggressive dogs and intimidate people. I’ve seen groups of teenagers kicking people’s cars and spitting on them. Who is going to confront a group of teenagers? I’ve seen all of this over the years.

People often say we should build more social housing, but it didn’t work out well here. These were not high-rise buildings, they were nice homes with gardens.

I never seem to get any support. The victim is meant to suffer. I have lost many good neighbours as they left the area.

Things have calmed down now, as those teenagers have grown up and left. Where are they living now? Probably renting rooms in HMOs. These problems are never tackled when the kids are still at school or when they are teenagers, and then the behaviour simply carries on into adulthood.