New powers to clamp down on poor-quality student housing and hostels are to be adopted after a wave of complaints.
Birmingham City Council has been inundated with complaints from Selly Oak over huge numbers of family homes being extended and converted into student accommodation.
Many large, box-like extensions to properties led to the area last year
Residents say the sheer number of student properties, a large number of which are converted without planning permission, are changing the character of the area.
In Erdington, an increase in anti-social behaviour linked to private rented homes in Stockland Green prompted similar calls.
Until now, the licensing regime for houses of multiple occupation, or HMOs, only applied to buildings of three or more storeys with five or more tenants. These require regular safety inspections by housing officials.
But now the council is considering extending the regulations so landlords and owners of all HMO will need to be licensed.
Under the new rules, landlords who have previously flouted planning regulations or had a conviction for providing slum housing could be refused a licence.
Most Read
Labour cabinet member for social cohesion James McKay said: "In Selly Oak, the development of student housing is having an adverse effect on the local community.
"Despite the efforts of the council alongside the university, police and local residents, some and building regulations resulting in significant environmental damage.
"In Stockland Green, the local community safety partnership has also raised concerns about anti-social behaviour in the area which appears to be linked to privately rented properties."
His colleague John Cotton, cabinet member for health and wellbeing, added: "By widening the scheme to include two-storey premises, we're hoping to extend this protection to other vulnerable citizens and prosecute unscrupulous landlords who seek to exploit them."
The community safety partnership for Selly Oak has been particularly vocal about the increase in HMOs in the neighbourhood, with large shared properties making up 18 per cent of the ward.
It has been calling for a licensing regime for many years and welcomes the move.
Partnership chairman Barry Toon said landlords could make £2,500 per month from a HMO, while taking no responsibility for the social problems created by large concentrations of students such as litter, fly-tipping and anti-social behaviour.
Don’t miss
He said: "The community gains with greater levels of control than the present 'free for all'.
"It will ensure the rogue landlords have a harder time operating. The good ones already comply with the legal standards so it will level the playing field for them.
"Tenants will benefit as they will get a clear idea of who their landlord is and how to get hold of them. In our experience there are still landlords who try to hide their identities, to avoid tax and other responsibilities.
This scheme will make it a lot harder to be an 'unfit and Improper' person. We have no problem with people renting housing out so long as they recognise they and their tenants have an obligation to be good neighbours. They need to give as well as just take."
Partnership spokesman Andrew Schofield said many of the properties were in a poor state of repair and residents were frequently frustrated by accumulated rubbish, badly tended gardens, broken fencing and gates, which posed a risk to security, and tenants' anti-social behaviour.