Tolworth residents say new controls surrounding Houses in Multiple Occupation (HMOs) "will arrive too late for a street already affected".

Residents of Largewood Avenue in Tolworth are calling for immediate action over disruption associated with HMOs, as one neighbour said she has withheld council tax and is prepared to face court to make her concerns heard.

Sue Robertson said she has endured relentless music, drug taking and disruption from people housed in the HMO next to her home.

She added that she "believes residents have been left to bear the consequences without effective intervention and that she has received very few responses to her complaints to Kingston Council".

Speaking about the neighbouring HMO, Sue told Nub News: "At this point, it should be noted that the RBK has been heavily scrutinised for being one of the least regulated London boroughs for HMO development.

"The result being that landlords could bypass planning regulation and convert family homes to 'small' HMOs ( three to six occupants) without consulting/notifying neighbours.

"The consequences of these actions have proved devastating for neighbours."

The resident claims that she "was never informed that the house was to become a HMO".

She added: "There was no communication from either the owners or Kingston Council. Neither was I involved in the Party Wall Agreement. The consequences are concerning, especially regarding the party wall."

Sue said that she has refused to pay council tax this financial year. After being told to pay or face court, she said she has chosen the court option to draw attention to what she sees as "failures in HMO oversight and accountability".

"It is the lack of regulation that I'll be focusing on," Sue wrote in a message to neighbours.

She said: "I haven't a hope of winning, but I want my voice to be heard."

Sue's husband, Ian, was diagnosed with Parkinson's Disease in 2011, which was further diagnosed as Advanced Parkinson's Disease in 2021.

In addition he had Lewy body dementia. During the 12 month period after the house was bought for use as an HMO, Ian was hospitalised three times after serious falls and on the third occasion he died, on 18 September 2025.

Sue said she "has no doubt, but of course, no proof that the stress he suffered led to an earlier death than would have been expected".

According to Sue, residents say Kingston Council is introducing new HMO controls, but these will not take effect until late 2027.

She said they argue that the delay leaves the neighbourhood exposed to further conversions while existing problems remain unresolved.

Sue added: "For households on Largewood Avenue, the changes come too late to prevent what residents describe as an over-concentration of HMOs that has already compromised the character of the street and their quality of life."

"Residents say future planning controls must be accompanied by action to address disruption at existing properties.

"They want clear responsibility for investigating complaints, enforcing applicable requirements and ensuring landlords and managing agents respond when problems persist.

Residents are calling for:

• Immediate protection during the period before the new HMO controls take effect.
• A coordinated response from the council, police, landlords and managing agents to persistent disruption.
• Investigation of reported drug activity and antisocial behaviour, with clear feedback to affected neighbours.
• Effective enforcement of applicable HMO licensing and property-management requirements.
• A named council contact responsible for coordinating action and keeping residents informed.

Sue is seeking contact with journalists covering local government and court proceedings so that her experience, and the concerns of her neighbours, can receive wider attention.

She said: "Residents want safe, properly managed accommodation and a neighbourhood in which everyone can live peacefully."

According to Sue, there are currently between 3,800 and 4,000 unregulated HMOs in the Royal Borough of Kingston and 430 regulated ones (AI 24th October 2024).

In March this year, a planning application was submitted to the council seeking permission to convert a two-storey family dwelling, located at 80 Largewood Avenue, into a HMO of no more than five occupants with the erection of the rear dormer roof extension and installation of three front rooflights.

Kingston Council approved the application on 4 June 2026.

The authority's Mandatory Licensing Scheme for HMOs states "any property with five or more unrelated occupiers, forming more than one household and sharing amenities", needs a licence to operate.

Nub News has contacted Kingston Council for comment.