Most of the cost and risk in an HMO is decided at the design stage. In Sutton Coldfield we start by measuring every room and checking Birmingham City Council's position on licensing and planning, then build the specification around it.
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 Sutton Coldfield 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 Sutton Coldfield landlords
We fit en-suite shower rooms in HMO bedrooms across Sutton Coldfield, 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 Sutton Coldfield 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.
- Drainage route checked under the floor at survey
- Fire stopping where pipes pass through floors and walls
- Bedroom measured to confirm it still meets size standards
- Electrical work tested and certified
- Extract fan ducted to outside with overrun control
En-suite installation near Sutton Coldfield
- Kingstanding 2.8 miles
- Erdington 3.1 miles
- Aldridge 3.9 miles
- Great Barr 4.4 miles
- Perry Barr 4.9 miles
- Aston 5.3 miles