Shared houses in Northfield need to satisfy Birmingham City Council's licensing team as well as building regulations. We plan for both from the first survey, which avoids rework later.
Because we also manage and maintain HMOs, we design with day-to-day running in mind: hard-wearing finishes, sensible storage and layouts that keep shared spaces usable.
HMO rules in Birmingham City Council
| Rule | Birmingham City Council |
|---|---|
| Mandatory HMO licence (5+ people) | In force everywhere in England |
| Additional HMO licensing | In force Whole city, 5 June 2023 to 4 June 2028 |
| Selective licensing | In part of the area 25 of the city's 69 wards, 5 June 2023 to 4 June 2028 |
| Article 4 direction for small HMOs | In force Whole city, in force since 8 June 2020 |
Checked October 2026 against Birmingham City Council's HMO licensing page. Schemes change, so we confirm the position for your address before any work starts.
Birmingham City Council has an Article 4 direction across its whole area, so turning a family house in Northfield into a small HMO needs planning permission. We prepare the planning application before any conversion work starts. Seven or more occupants always needs planning permission. Birmingham City Council also runs additional licensing across its whole area (until 4 June 2028), so smaller HMOs with three or four people from two or more households need a licence too.
En-suite installation for Northfield landlords
We fit en-suite shower rooms in HMO bedrooms across Northfield, starting with a check that each bedroom still meets its size standard once the en-suite is built. Councils take different views on whether en-suite floor area counts, so we confirm the local position first.
Older houses often have joists running the wrong way and soil stacks in fixed positions, so in Northfield we check the drainage route under the floor before quoting. Every en-suite we fit in the West Midlands is finished with a ducted fan, certified electrics and fire stopping.
- Shower, toilet, basin and wipe-clean wall finish fitted
- Drainage route checked under the floor at survey
- Extract fan ducted to outside with overrun control
- Fire stopping where pipes pass through floors and walls
- Bedroom measured to confirm it still meets size standards
En-suite installation near Northfield
- Longbridge 1.3 miles
- Kings Norton 1.8 miles
- Selly Oak 1.9 miles
- Bournbrook 1.9 miles
- Stirchley 2.1 miles
- Bournville 2.1 miles