Glasgow City Council rejects HMO bid after neighbours report 'loud sex parties'

An “illegal” Glasgow house in multiple occupation (HMO) flat where sex parties involving six people allegedly took place has been refused a licence after objections from neighbours, councillors and local MSP Nicola Sturgeon.

The application by the landlord of the Glasgow flat was rejected after a neighbour told how she heard “multiple people” having “really loud sex” and complained there were a dozen tenants within two years.

Holly Ritchie, who has lived in the listed tenement on the Strathbungo street for 13 years, said her family were living in a “state of anxiety” due to the situation.

Mrs Ritchie said: “It has become quite uncomfortable. We have heard noise and noisy sex.

“There were sex parties. Six people were having sex above. Everyone could hear it.

“I would feel anxiety about returning home.”

Speaking at the licensing and regulatory committee, she added: “This is our home – I don’t want to move. It is a listed building overlooking the park.”

Mrs Ritchie was among 18 objectors, which included local MSP Nicola Sturgeon, to object to the house of multiple occupation (HMO) licence at 2-2 1 Queen Square in the Pollokshields ward.

Former SNP leader Ms Sturgeon lodged a written objection to landlord William McDevitt’s application.

Another objector, Ms Belshaw, told the committee the three-bedroom property beside Queen’s Park has “been a revolving door for several years” and was operating as an illegal HMO”.

Explaining how she worried about her safety, she said: “It has been hard as a woman walking in and out of the close not knowing who is going to be there”.

She accused the owner, who lives across the landing from the flat he rents, of causing neighbours stress, adding: “I don’t believe he understands the character of tenants”.

The meeting heard that the current tenants in the flat are “lovely” but the problems occurred since 2022, before their more recent arrival.

Responding to questions from committee chair Alex Wilson on the noise issues, Mrs Ritchie said she had to go to the door to complain and there were “12 different tenants in two years”.

She said some of the neighbours were lovely, but there were incidents when she had to endure listening to “really loud sex”.

She added: “It would be multiple people having sex.”

Replying to Mrs Ritchie’s concerns, Mr McDevitt said: “I heard sex noises but I was unaware of a sex party.”

The flat was also found to have a broken boiler in June 2024, and tenants were left without heating and hot water.

Committee chair Alex Wilson challenged Mr McDevitt on not getting it repaired between June and October, citing that length of time “was not acceptable”.

Mr McDevitt said he had issues contacting an engineer and getting access to the flat.

Pollokshields councillors Hanif Raja, Zen Ghani, Jon Molyneux and Norman MacLeod also objected to the licence.

The council’s HMO unit found the property was being rented as an unlicensed HMO following a complaint, but Mr McDevitt denies that.

The meeting heard he applied for a HMO licence after it was discovered there were more people staying in the property than allowed.

After consideration, the committee refused the new HMO licence.