Frequently asked questions

We design, convert, refurbish and manage houses in multiple occupation across the Midlands. That covers HMO conversions, fire safety and compliance work, licence and planning applications, management, tenant-find and guaranteed rent, and investor services such as sourcing, feasibility appraisals and turnkey projects. Midlands HMO is the HMO service of S&K Property Investments and Improvement Ltd, part of the S&K Group, based in Great Barr, Birmingham.

We cover all 12 Midlands counties: West Midlands, Staffordshire, Shropshire, Herefordshire, Worcestershire, Warwickshire, Derbyshire, Nottinghamshire, Leicestershire, Rutland, Lincolnshire and Northamptonshire. We work in England only, so the rules on this website are the rules for England. Our areas pages list the towns and council areas in each county.

We visit the house at a time that suits you, measure every room and look at the layout, condition, services and fire safety. We also check your council's licensing and planning position for the address, including any additional licensing scheme or Article 4 direction. The survey is free with no obligation, and it gives us what we need to prepare your quote.

After the survey we send a fixed written quote for the specification we agree with you. It is itemised, so you can see what each part of the work costs, such as the rooms, en-suites, kitchen and fire safety. If you change the specification, we price the change in writing before it goes ahead. Council fees are separate.

S&K carries out the work with vetted subcontractors working under S&K. You contract with S&K for the whole job, so one company is responsible and you have one point of contact. Gas work is done by Gas Safe registered engineers, and electrical work and testing by qualified electricians.

Yes. We check whether the house needs planning permission, building regulations approval or an HMO licence, prepare the floor plans and drawings, and can prepare and submit the applications for you. The council makes each decision, so nobody can promise the outcome. Planning, licensing and building control fees are set by the council or building control body and are extra.

Yes. We can view the house, measure the rooms, check the council's licensing and planning position for the address, and tell you how many lettable rooms it could take within the council's standards and what work that would involve. This is property, planning and licensing information, not financial advice, so take regulated advice on the purchase itself.

Yes, if you want us to. We can find tenants, manage the house day to day, arrange the safety checks and certificates, and look after repairs and maintenance. Terms are agreed in writing for each property before you instruct us. You can also use us for the conversion only and manage the house yourself or with another agent.

Yes, for suitable houses. We lease the house from you and pay an agreed rent whether or not the rooms are let. This is a company let governed by the lease terms rather than the assured tenancy rules, room occupiers' tenancies may continue when the lease ends, and owners can still face licensing liability. Have your solicitor review the lease before you sign.

Our HMO licensing checker shows, for each Midlands council, whether we found additional licensing, selective licensing or an Article 4 direction for small HMOs, with a link to the council's HMO page. Enter a postcode district or pick a council. It is a guide, not a ruling: schemes change and can cover only part of an area, so we confirm the position for the exact address at survey.

No. We give property, planning, licensing and building information, such as room sizes, the likely works, guide costs and what the council requires. We do not give financial, tax, mortgage or legal advice, and our yield calculator is a guide only. For decisions about finance, tax or how to buy, speak to a regulated adviser, an accountant or a solicitor.

It depends on the size and condition of the house, the scope of work, and whether planning permission, building regulations approval or a licence is needed first. Your fixed written quote comes with a programme showing the order of works and the key stages. If anything affects the programme during the works, we tell you and update it in writing.

Usually the owner. Where rooms are let individually, or the house was built or adapted for multiple occupation, the owner rather than the occupiers is normally liable under Class C of the council tax owner liability rules. If the whole house is let on one joint tenancy, the tenants may be liable instead. The council decides each case.

Since 1 May 2026 most private tenancies in England, including most HMO room lets, are assured periodic tenancies with no fixed term. Section 21 has been abolished, rent can rise once a year by section 13 notice, rental bidding is banned, rent in advance is limited, and blanket bans on children or benefits are unlawful. Student HMOs have a new possession ground, Ground 4A.

It is a new register of private landlords and rental properties set up under the Renters' Rights Act 2025. It is due to open on 15 December 2026, starting in the West Midlands, subject to Parliament approving the regulations. The East Midlands is expected to follow in early 2027. Dates could change, so check GOV.UK before you register.

Call us free on 0800 088 6341, send the form on any page, use the live chat, or message us on WhatsApp. Tell us the property address or postcode and what you want to achieve, and whether you own the house or are buying it. We reply within one working day.