Most of the cost and risk in an HMO is decided at the design stage. In Bournbrook we start by measuring every room and checking Birmingham City Council's position on licensing and planning, then build the specification around it.
You get one point of contact for the whole job, a fixed price for the agreed specification and a written programme showing when each stage happens.
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 Bournbrook into a small HMO needs planning permission. We check the planning history of the address as part of any licence work. 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.
How we handle HMO compliance audit work in Bournbrook
An audit of an HMO in Bournbrook checks the house the way a licensing officer would: room sizes, fire safety, amenities, certificates and paperwork. You get a written, prioritised fix list, so you know what needs doing before an inspection, renewal or purchase.
Councils across the West Midlands set their own HMO standards on top of the national rules. Our audits of houses in Bournbrook check against both, and we can quote for any work the report identifies once you have read it.
- Licence conditions checked against the house as it is
- Every bedroom measured, including the 1.5 m ceiling rule
- Written report with a prioritised, photographed fix list
- Fire precautions and fire risk assessment reviewed
- Certificates and tenancy paperwork checked for gaps and dates
Sharer demand in Bournbrook
If the house in Bournbrook is let to students or sharers, up-to-date certificates, measured plans and a current fire risk assessment make any council inspection more straightforward, and they are usually asked for with a licence application.
HMO compliance audits near Bournbrook
- Selly Oak under a mile
- Harborne 1.5 miles
- Edgbaston 1.8 miles
- Stirchley 1.8 miles
- Bournville 1.8 miles
- Northfield 1.9 miles