A shared house in Birmingham has to work for the council, the people who live there and the owner's figures. We look at all three before we agree terms.
Because we also build and repair HMOs, problems found at an inspection can be priced and fixed by the same team.
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 Birmingham into a small HMO needs planning permission. We check this before an offer is made, not after. 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.
Our HMO feasibility appraisal service in Birmingham
Our HMO appraisals in Birmingham start with the address: we check the local council's licensing schemes, any Article 4 direction and its amenity standards for kitchens and bathrooms, then measure each room against the national minimum sizes to find the likely room count.
For houses in Birmingham and elsewhere in the West Midlands, the appraisal also covers the planning route, building regulations and fire implications, a guide build cost range and the main risks. It is property information, not a valuation or financial advice.
- Licensing position for the address
- Council amenity standards applied to kitchens and bathrooms
- Planning route: C4, sui generis or Article 4
- Every room measured against national minimum sizes
- Guide build cost range and key risks listed
Letting to students and sharers in Birmingham
Student demand is only one factor in Birmingham. We check Birmingham City Council's Article 4 and licensing position for the address before any appraisal figures are relied on.